Posts Tagged ‘workforce’

Army officials are planning to trim the service’s civilian workforce — whether or not automatic spending cuts go into effect — to cope with budget constraints and an overall drawdown from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Undersecretary Joseph Westphal said Wednesday at an event hosted by the Government Executive Media Group. “‘Now that we’re going back to a more balanced force, we’re going to probably need to reduce our workforce …

Military facilities in Nevada have a significant economic impact on the state and, as a result, looming spending reductions to be imposed in January will be felt in its multiple defense communities. Without more information from DOD, however, it is not possible to figure out just how severe the impacts will be. Nellis and Creech Air Force bases, and the Nevada Test and Training Range were home to almost 11,000 military personnel in fiscal 2011 and more than 5,000 civilian employees and contractors …

The unemployment rate for women who served in Iraq or Afghanistan surged to 19.9 percent in September from 12.1 percent the previous month, suggesting a sharp divide in how employers view male combat veterans vs. their women counterparts. The jobless rate for post-9/11 female veterans one year ago was 14.7 percent. Meanwhile, the portion of younger male veterans seeking work fell to 8.0 percent in September from 10.7 percent in August …

Legislation making it easier for military personnel to obtain a commercial driver’s license has been sent to President Obama for his signature, following approval of S. 3624 by the House last week. The Senate previously cleared the measure, which allows service members to obtain a CDL in either the state where they serve or where they received their training, regardless of whether it is their state of permanent residence …

Two Houston hospitals have found a rich supply for new employees — military veterans. Officials at the Michael DeBakey VA Medical Center and Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center say veterans are service-focused, hardworking and, equally important, many have experience in health care …

A new California law is expected to bolster the state’s effort to shape impending decisions in Washington regarding the defense budget. Under a bill California Gov. Jerry Brown signed last week, the governor’s office of planning and research will serve as the state’s liaison to the Pentagon. Local officials and business leaders in San Diego had pushed for the measure as DOD begins to slash spending and consider a future BRAC round …

A measure to implement President Obama’s Veterans Jobs Corps initiative was blocked from moving ahead in the Senate on Wednesday after it fell two votes short of overcoming a procedural objection by Republicans over the bill’s budgetary impact. The legislation would have authorized $900 million to employ veterans in conservation, national park and historic preservation projects, and $100 million to hire veterans as police and firefighters. It also would have provided assistance for service members transitioning to civilian life for mentoring and job training …

The Senate on Tuesday voted to take up a measure to implement President Obama’s Veterans Jobs Corps initiative, which would provide $1 billion over the next five years to hire post-9/11 military veterans for public works jobs and give them preference for police and firefighter positions. The legislation, S. 3457, would authorize $900 million to employ veterans in conservation, national park and historic preservation projects, and $100 million to hire veterans as police and firefighters. The bill is intended to address the high unemployment rate for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, which rose to 10.9 percent last month …

The unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans rose to 10.9 percent in August, reversing a pattern in which the rate had dropped for six straight months. In July, the unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans had been 8.9 percent, according to the Labor Department’s employment report. The August rate is not much better than the 11.3 percent average in 2011 …

The military’s refashioned Transition Assistance Program will better support separating service members about to enter the civilian workplace, but won’t by itself defeat the high unemployment rate for veterans, according to a commentary in the Huffington Post. To achieve better results, three steps are needed, write the co-founders of Switch, a career transition blog for veterans: (1) military commands must emphasize the importance of preparing for transition and provide personnel the flexibility to manage their military obligations and career preparation; (2) DOD should establish one central office to serve as a matchmaker between veterans and employers …