The American Council on Exercise (ACE) has expanded its Salute You scholarship program. The scholarship is now available to veterans six months prior to and up to 24-months after their honorable discharge from active duty.
“We are thrilled to present this opportunity honoring those men and women who’ve served our nation so courageously,” said Scott Goudeseune, the president and CEO of ACE. “Providing veterans with a no-cost way to place themselves on a promising career path in a growing industry makes perfect sense for them because of their prevailing sense of duty and natural inclination to serve. The respect they command, and the courage they exhibit, will prove invaluable as our industry marches more directly into accountability in the fight against the obesity epidemic. ACE wants to help far more people forge forward and live their most fit lives, and these heroes will help us to do that.”
The ACE Salute You scholarship prepares honorably discharged military personnel to start a new career as an ACE-certified personal trainer. Free of charge to candidates selected, ACE will provide study materials, registration for the ACE Personal Trainer Certification Exam and one-on-one study assistance. The organization has committed to 1,000 such scholarships, which equals about $1 million.
More than two-thirds of U.S. veterans consider finding a job the greatest challenge in transitioning to civilian life. Unemployment among veterans aged 18 to 24 is 17.7 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Salute You scholarship is aimed at battling the statistic as 300,000 service members are expected to cycle out of the Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard in the next five years. Eligible scholarship recipients will be those servicemen and women who have been discharged within six months of their application date.
“For our men and women in the armed forces, health and fitness is already a big part of their lives, so it makes a lot of sense to provide our returning veterans with opportunities to pursue careers in fitness training and instruction,” said Scott Peters, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. “With the surge of veterans currently transitioning back into the civilian workforce, I applaud the work of organizations like ACE for helping our veterans put their skills to use in a way that supports their futures.”
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
