Vets to Tech: Beth McCormick

Bethany (Beth) McCormick is the recruiting and diversity manager for Engineering at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Beth is known nationwide for her innovative, high impact educational program for veterans that helps address Bay Area employer needs for a highly skilled technical workforce of US Citizens. Beth’s Vet’s to Tech program provides veterans a bridge to high paying tech jobs in just 2 years after transition. Vets have a choice to work or go on to earn a BS degree Engineering in just 2 more years. The average enlisted veteran takes up to 6 years to achieve the same degree!

The Vets to Tech program has been recognized as a best practice by the Department of Energy, US News and World Reports STEM Conference, the Aspen Institute in Washington D.C. (a think-tank nonprofit focused on America’s workforce) and by the First Lady, Michele Obama and Jill Biden’s Joining Forces program which rally’s Americans to support service members, veterans and their family.

The Vet’s to Tech program was developed in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Las Positas College and their Veterans First program and the Alameda county workforce investment board. The program started in 2014. Together the three entities established the 24-month cohort model program for veterans, that combines an expedited technical education with hand-on training through paid internships. The initial program focused on a pathway to advanced manufacturing and is currently expanding to IT and computer science.

Companies benefiting from the program’s first graduating class in 2016 are LLNL, Lockheed Martin, Tesla and NASA to name a few. The program has expanded to additional community colleges in Southern California, Kansas, Tennessee, and Maryland.

Beth attended Michigan State University where she received a bachelor’s in chemical engineering. She serves on the board for California Polytechnic State University Multicultural Engineering Program, Alameda County Workforce Board and the Las Positas College engineering board.

Beth will be joined by Todd Steffan the Vet’s First program coordinator and two veterans currently enrolled in the program. You’ll hear firsthand how Beth’s volunteer work ended up changing lives and becoming a national best practice.