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 …
A measure easing the way for military spouses to obtain professional licenses after moving to California is headed to the desk of Gov. Jerry Brown following the bill’s passage this week by the state Assembly. AB 1904 would expedite the licensure process for military spouses with a current, valid license in their career field from another jurisdiction. Obtaining a new license can cause lengthy re-employment delays for military spouses moving between states …
At 15 percent, the unemployment rate for military wives in 2010 was more than twice as high as the rate for their civilian counterparts, according to a new study from Congress’ Joint Economic Committee. Sen. Bob Casey, the committee’s chairman, released the report Tuesday to build support for legislation he introduced that would offer a tax credit to any military spouse who needs to renew or transfer a professional license following a change in their family’s duty station …
The most immediate impact of sequestration would be felt by civilian defense employees, with an estimated 108,367 workers losing their job in the weeks following imposition of a $55 billion cut in DOD spending starting on Jan. 2, according to a new analysis from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. Overall, most defense programs would be slashed by 10.3 percent, budget analyst Todd Harrison said during a press briefing last week. DOD’s civilian workforce would suffer a 13.7 percent cut, however, since the reductions would occur three months into the fiscal year …
The General Services Administration’s sale of a former Navy property in Dallas has left the 2,400 employees of the Triumph Aerostructures-Vought Aircraft Division plant located there anxious about their jobs. The Triumph Group, parent of Triumph Aerostructures, has said the site’s purchaser will double the facility’s operating costs, forcing it to reconsider its operating practices, reported the Dallas Business Journal. One option is to relocate the plant which assembles aircraft parts, the parent company said …
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is distributing Personal Branding guides to military veterans and transitioning service members to help them better market themselves to civilian employers. “Articulating the skills learned in the military to employers remains one of the greatest challenges for our nation’s newest generation of veterans,” said Kevin Schmiegel, executive director of the chamber’s Hiring Our Heroes program. “You need to talk about your military experience in terms that employers will understand, and not just about your military occupation and not just about the intangibles. Talk about your leadership experience, talk about the fact that you work well in a team, talk about your incredible work ethic …
When the community neighboring Fort Hood in Central Texas, the nation’s largest military base, wanted to support the nation’s service members and their families, the local workforce development provider formed a community service nonprofit to help military spouses obtain college training, licensure and jobs. Jobs for Military Families, led by Workforce Solutions of Central Texas, was one of the nation’s early programs dedicated to military spouse employment. What sets its success apart from other programs that have followed are several key features, including a commitment to provide child care and a focus on high-paying jobs that the spouse can transport to his or her family’s next duty station …
Military personnel, spouses and veterans moving to North Carolina will find it easier to obtain required occupational licenses, under legislation Gov. Beverly Perdue signed into law this week. The new law streamlines the procedures for those already licensed elsewhere to work in the same occupation in North Carolina. Military and out-of-state qualifications will be required to meet or exceed the state’s standards. A licensing board will determine eligibility based on training, experience and competency …
A new and improved Transition Assistance Program for separating soldiers debuted this week at Fort Sill, Okla., after the Army went back to the drawing board to better support troops attempting to enter the civilian workplace, attend college or start a business. What once was a three-day workshop now is an extended program offering soldiers individually focused counseling, reported the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command. Program elements include …