A new Army campaign aims to answer some of the most pressing concerns employers have when considering hiring a military veteran, including the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury on job performance. Other questions hiring companies have are the cost of accommodating veterans suffering from PTSD or other mental health issues, and how military skills translate to civilian jobs …
A pilot program started last month will help service members gain civilian professional credentials in five occupational areas — aircraft mechanic, automotive mechanic, health care, supply and logistics, and truck driver — that cover 17 military specialties. During the pilot, officials will assess whether existing military training is sufficient to qualify personnel for civilian credentials …
A Pentagon program intended to help military spouses find rewarding careers despite frequent relocations added 30 companies and organizations at a Washington Navy Yard event Wednesday, raising the total number of participants past 160. The Military Spouse Employment Partnership is needed in the military community to combat spouses’ high unemployment rates and historically low wages …
A new study by the Kauffman Foundation documents a long-term decline in the number of businesses started by military veterans. In 1996, veterans represented 12.3 percent of all new entrepreneurs, but by 2011, veterans comprised just 6 percent of new entrepreneurs, the study found. Until three years ago, veterans generally started companies at higher rates than non-veterans …
Despite good intentions, few employers are fully prepared to recruit, hire and accommodate veterans with disabilities, according to a new report from the Workplace Warrior Think Tank. The think tank sees progress in the myriad efforts spearheaded by the private sector to offer opportunities to veterans, but more needs to be done. The prospect that former service members have post-traumatic stress disorder is a key barrier preventing companies from embracing veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan …
Unemployment is the number one worry among military personnel, according to a new poll conducted by Concerned Veterans of America. Twenty-eight percent of military voters ranked finding a job after they separate from service as their top concern, reported Politico. Only 18 percent of respondents said gaining access to medical care for service-related wounds was their biggest issue. The other concerns listed by service members included deployment pressures, downsizing of personnel and transition assistance.
Private sector-led initiatives to increase hiring of military veterans seem to be paying off as the unemployment rate among younger veterans is declining, reports the Wall Street Journal. Last week, a coalition of 76 companies said its members had hired 28,186 veterans since last year, putting the group ahead of pace to meet its goal of hiring 100,000 veterans by 2020. And on Monday, the Get Skills to Work coalition said it would accelerate skills training for veterans to qualify them for the hundreds of thousands of job openings in advanced manufacturing that companies say they are unable to fill …
A coalition of manufacturers launched an initiative this week to train military veterans for jobs in advanced manufacturing that remain open because employers say they can’t find skilled applicants. The Get Skills to Work coalition — which will be managed by the Manufacturing Institute and supported by General Electric, Alcoa Inc., Boeing and Lockheed Martin — will accelerate skills training for veterans, help veterans and employers translate military skills to advanced manufacturing jobs, and provide employers with tools to recruit and mentor veterans …
The Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida will create an online platform identifying veterans services in the Jacksonville area, courtesy of a $20,000 grant from the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation. The project, which is scheduled to be completed in March 2013, will identify reintegration services available to veterans and provide government agencies a tool for locating and contacting resources for veterans, nonprofits with a map of services and interrelated programs that will improve efficiency in service delivery and coordination of care …
A coalition of more than 55 veteran and military service organizations, nonprofits and government agencies last week launched the Community Blueprint, a national initiative to support returning military service members, veterans and their families by better coordinating their access to employment, housing, education and health care services. The goal of the initiative — led by Points of Light, the world’s largest volunteer service organization, and the Corporation for National and Community Service, home to AmeriCorps — is to help troops navigate through an often confounding web of support services when they return home …