Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill

Veteran Unemployment Rate According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the  unemployment rate for veterans  in June 2019 was 3.2%. The overall population experienced higher rates of unemployment at 3.7%. Many employers know the true value of hiring veterans and have even pledged to increase their veteran employee populations. Author of  From We Will to At Will  Justin Constantine says that's a smart tactic. "Veterans are key additions in the civilian workplace," said Constantine, a Marine veteran who is registered with WWP and also serves on the veterans' charity's board of directors. "Because of the strong business case for hiring us, employers should be taking every step to find men and women who served their nation in the military, who now want to serve alongside teammates in the civilian world."  Recognition for a Top Veteran Employer Werner Enterprises  (NASDAQ: WERN), a premier transportation and logistics provider, is honored to be named to the 2019 Best of the Best Top Veteran-Friendly Companies list by U.S. Veterans Magazine for the fifth consecutive year for the company’s support of military veterans, service members and their families. “After fighting for our country, we want to make members of the armed forces and their families feel like they have a second home at Werner Enterprises,” said Vice President of Field and Government Recruiting Jim Morbach. “We are honored to have many talented military men and women in our company, and we are honored to support their success in the civilian workforce.” U.S. Veterans Magazine polled hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies for this year’s evaluations. Finalists were selected based on their support of the nation’s employees, initiatives, government agencies and educational institutions. The annual list can be found on the publication’s  website . Werner is widely acknowledged as an industry leader in military hiring initiatives, with veteran and veteran spouses comprising approximately 20 percent of its workforce. As a military-ready employer, Werner offers eligible military veterans the opportunity to receive their tax-free U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits in addition to on-the-job training. Did You Know? These companies were founded or cofounded by veterans. Army veteran Phillip Knight cofounded Nike. Air Force veteran Dave Liniger cofounded RE/MAX. Marine Corps veteran founded FedEx. Army veteran Sam Walton cofounded Walmart. Marine Corps veteran Bob Parsons founded GoDaddy. USAA was founded by a group of Army officers. Air Force pilot Chuck Wallace founded eSurance. Navy veteran Christopher Michael founded Military.com. Warriors Gain Confidence, Sailing Skills, and New Connections Injured veterans were empowered to steer the boat, grind the winches, and trim the sails at a Wounded Warrior Project ®  (WWP) sailing class in Newport. Connecting with fellow service members and people in the community gives warriors support they can count on. The opportunity to try something new and be surrounded by other veterans encouraged Dawn to sign up for this and several other WWP activities in the past year. She first heard about WWP from a female veteran with whom she served in Iraq.  "Everyone on my sailboat chatted before the sailing concluded and had a chance to get to know each other," Dawn said. Dawn's husband serves in the Navy and is stationed in Virginia. She doesn't have other family nearby and attended the WWP sailing event with a friend. Having a friend with her – and making new friends there – contributed to growing her network. "I was happy to share this great opportunity with a close friend," Dawn said. "We ended up sitting together for lunch," she added. The combat medic and medical instructor shared lunch with other veterans at the picturesque summer house of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Socializing with other veterans helps warriors connect with the support network they need to overcome the challenges they face. In a  WWP survey  of the wounded warriors it serves, more than half of survey respondents (52.6%) expressed they talk with fellow veterans to address their mental health concerns. American Water Named Military Friendly Employer American Water  (NYSE: AWK), the nation’s largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility company, announced today that it has earned the 2020 Military Friendly ®  Gold Employer designation by VIQTORY. First published in 2003, Military Friendly ®  Employers is the most comprehensive resource for transitioning veterans and military spouses. “The men and women among us at American Water that have served honorably in our military bring their commitment to service to work with them each and every day, and we’re honored to have the opportunity to continue to support them,” said Chief Operating Officer Walter Lynch, a veteran of the U.S. Army. “As a Military Friendly ®  Gold Employer, veterans seeking a career at American Water have the opportunity to do meaningful work and utilize their military skills and experience to deliver clean, safe, reliable and affordable water and wastewater services to millions of Americans across the U.S.” American Water is committed to hiring military talent, knowing first-hand that recruiting veterans and military spouses is not only the “right thing to do,” but the right thing for business.

Home Helpers® Home Care, a leading network of in-home Caregiving providers, will commemorate National Hire a Veteran Day this July 25 by pushing through the home stretch of its recruitment goal to hire 3,000 veterans and service families. To help achieve its veteran recruitment goal set in 2017, Home Helpers will host a Facebook Live session  on Thursday, July 25, from Noon to 1 p.m. EDT in partnership with the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP). The social media event will give a behind-the-scenes look at the company's commitment to military and veteran communities and its active hiring efforts. It will also detail what types of opportunities Home Helpers offers and how to apply. "Veterans and veteran families perform extremely well across the Home Helpers network," said Home Helpers Home Care CEO, Emma Dickison. "In honor of National Hire a Veteran Day, we aim to connect with veterans and provide them a platform to share with us in real time. Veterans have an innate ability to serve—be that their country or their fellow neighbor in need—and right now we're in need of their skills, talents and values." With locally-owned offices serving more than 1,000 communities nationwide, Home Helpers has open employment opportunities across the country. It offers flexible scheduling and comprehensive job training that builds a transferable skill set in caregiving, service planning, coordination, supervising and administration roles. The company also has a franchise incentive for qualified veterans with an honorable discharge. Veterans receive $9,780—or 20 percent of the new ownership fee—toward their initial franchise ownership. Additionally, in recognition for its exceptional programming, in 2018, the International Franchise Association's  VetFran  program awarded Home Helpers a Five-Star rating; its highest level. To participate in the Facebook Live event, visit the Home Helpers Facebook page at  www.facebook.com/HomeHelpersSeniorCare . To apply for a career at Home Helpers, visit  https://www.homehelpershomecare.com/military .

Here's a roundup of veteran job news. Memphis Programs Aims to Connect Vets with Aviation Jobs MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Release) – In an effort to prepare military veterans for potential airport-related jobs, Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (MSCAA) is partnering with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and University Aviation Association to bring the Edge4Vets program to Memphis.     Edge4Vets works in collaboration with Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), which represents major commercial airports in the US and Canada, to accelerate veterans into airport workforces. The Edge4Vets program combines workshop training with online instruction to teach veterans how to translate their military strengths, including values and skills, into tools for the airport and business workforces, then connects them with program partner jobs. FULL DETAILS Veterans Outreach Center awarded $500,000 federal grant for homeless veterans Washington, D.C. (WHAM) - The Veterans Outreach Center will be receiving a $500,000 federal grant to give homeless veterans job training and apprenticeship opportunities. The Rochester-based non-profit organization will use the funding to bring in partner organizations for career coaching and vocational employment services. FULL DETAILS VA seeks training providers to ready Veterans for high-tech careers WASHINGTON  — Today the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it is inviting training providers to participate in a new pilot program to prepare Veterans for careers in the high-tech workforce.  The  Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses  (VET TEC) program, for which Veterans can apply beginning in April, is designed to give Veterans more options and access to nontraditional training to acquire skills in information technology, computer software, information science, media application, data processing and computer programming fields. “We are invested in ensuring Veterans make successful transitions into their post-military career,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “We are excited to partner with successful training providers who will help pave the way for Veterans seeking meaningful employment in their field of study.” VET TEC training providers will have access to student Veterans who are motivated, hard-working team players. They will operate under an incentivized payment structure designed to ensure Veterans complete their training and land good jobs. The structure includes the following: When Veterans begin their courses, VA will pay the training provider 25 percent of tuition and mandatory fees. When a Veteran graduates, VA will pay another 25 percent of the tuition and mandatory fees. When a Veteran lands a job in his or her area of study and training, VA will pay the last 50 percent of tuition and mandatory fees.  Veterans will receive a monthly housing stipend while in training. This benefit will be modeled after the  Post-9/11 GI Bill housing rate .  The  VET TEC webpage  provides additional requirements and application instructions. VA will review applications from training providers to ensure proposed programs meet VET TEC criteria. Selected training providers will be notified in early spring.