The Mission
On November 9, 2009, Executive Order 13518, Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government, established the Veterans Employment Initiative. The Initiative is a strategic approach to helping the men and women who have served our country in the military find employment in the Federal Government. In support of this initiative and in recognition of a veteran’s natural potential as a source of talent for diplomacy and development, the U.S. Department of State launched the Veterans Innovation Partnership (VIP), a public-private alliance platform aimed at serving America’s veterans and preparing them for diplomacy and development careers, by providing educational and employment resources and expertise, while enhancing America’s global leadership.
The Pillars
The main focus of VIP is to build and deploy strategic partnerships between the U.S. government and U.S. private sector to mobilize resources and build networks to promote foreign affairs career opportunities for veterans. VIP focuses on the following three elements of engagement to support veterans’ transition to diplomacy and development careers:
- EDUCATION: Provides hands-on learning through work in a U.S. government foreign affairs agency
- FELLOWSHIP: A talented group of fellows forms the foundation of the fellowship class
- EMPLOYMENT: Facilitates exposure to career opportunities in diplomacy and development
The Alliance
Launched on October 31, 2013, the Alliance includes the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Millennium Challenge Corporation (MMC), the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the private sector, which work in collaboration to provide educational and employment opportunities for young American veterans who are recent master’s degree recipients and interested in foreign affairs careers.
VIP provides partners with opportunities to engage with like-minded businesses and organizations in helping veterans transition into careers in international relations. Partners benefit from engaging with a talented cohort of veterans who are placed in various agencies in the federal government.
For more information about the VIP program, please visit: http://www.vipfellowship.org/ or contact the Office of Global Partnerships (GP) at partnerships@state.gov.