February 2015—The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) has a long history of assisting serving military personnel in their certification efforts, as well as veterans transitioning back to civilian life. As a founding member of the Coalition for Professional Certification in the late ’90s, NCCCO successfully pressured Congress to expand the G.I. Bill to cover the reimbursement of certification fees, and the organization was a charter member of the Professional Certification Advisory Board (PCAB) established to advise the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on personnel certification matters.
Now, NCCCO has received continued approval from the VA for providing Certified Crane Operator Examinations to veterans as specified under Section 122 of the Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-419).
This law provides for reimbursement of fees for licensing or certification tests, the successful completion of which demonstrates an individual’s possession of the knowledge or skill required to enter into, maintain, or advance in employment in a predetermined and identified vocation or profession.
“CCO certification examinations were initially approved by the VA in 2001,” noted NCCCO Chief Executive Officer, Graham Brent, “and we have been privileged to facilitate access by veterans seeking professional credentials who might otherwise not be able to afford it ever since. Frankly, it’s an honor for NCCCO to be able to assist in veterans’ transition back to civilian employment in this manner.”
The VA reimburses the fees associated with the CCO certification exams as well as the costs of training by other parties (since NCCCO conducts no training itself). Payment is issued after a veteran submits proof of payment to VA, and it is charged against their GI Bill entitlement. Veterans must complete the VA Form 22-0803 (Application for Reimbursement of Licensing or Certification Test) and submit it to their nearest VA regional processing office.
Testing for active military personnel can be taken anywhere in the world through the DoD DANTES program, for which NCCCO is also an approved provider. Practical exams have even been conducted on active military bases such as Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. For more information about CCO exam fee reimbursement and DANTES, visit www.nccco.org/military.