There are 2.5 million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. For these men and women, the transition to civilian life can be an incredible challenge. Beyond the psychological burden, many of the challenges they encounter are very practical: employment, housing, and medical care. Many of the initiatives put forward by companies address these practical issues, such as:
- Transitional housing or financing for permanent housing for returning service-members
- Remodeling or adapting wounded warriors’ homes to fit their needs
- Job skills training to help ease the transition to civil occupations
- Career counseling and resume reviews to help veterans present their skills in the best way possible
- Job fairs, online sites, or portals to match veterans with potential employers
Working closely with Hiring Our Heroes, which is also a program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Hiring Our Heroes is a nationwide initiative that uses the U.S. Chamber’s network to connect veterans and military families with meaningful employment through hundreds of job fairs hosted all around the country.
Why does business engage this issue?
To honor veterans who served our country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ February 2013 Economic News Release, there are currently a total of 772,000 unemployed veterans – 172,000 of which are veterans of recent conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan. Those men and women sacrificed their time, energy, and sometimes bodies to serve their country; business has the opportunity to help them make a successful transition to civilian life.
Veterans make good employees. Many veterans have valuable technical and personal skills which they acquired or honed through their military service. Leadership skills and a strong work ethic are two examples of personal skills which could be cultivated during military service, and companies are eager to connect these candidates with jobs where they can use those skills.
The BCLC Approach |
2013 Issue Networks |