Maurice Wilson
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Veteran EMPLOYMENT: Related Articles
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U.S. Chamber to hold job fair today for veterans and military spouses
North County Times –August 15, 2012
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce plans to hold a job fair in San Diego for veterans and military spouses on Thursday. The chamber’s National Chamber Foundation, with lead sponsors Call of Duty Endowment, Prudential, Hero2Hired, will host the job fair.
For Veterans, Next Battle is Finding a Job
Business News Daily –August 16
The fighting is not over yet for American veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a new survey shows. For many, the most daunting challenge is just ahead — transitioning to civilian life and getting a job. And that may be the scariest battle of all. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of returning troops experience a difficult transition to civilian life, according to a study of 1,845 veterans from the post-9/11 and second Gulf War U.S. deployments. The study was conducted by Prudential Financial with the support of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. The survey found that close to half of veterans did not feel ready to transition largely due to employment and health challenges. They also said they felt the need to take time to decompress after service and “figure out what’s next.”
TiVo’s Fix For Jobless Veterans
The Wall Street Journal –August 15, 2012
They are everywhere, but we don’t usually see them—the nearly 300,000 of the 2.4 million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who are without work. That’s a 12% unemployment rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As a veteran recently told us, “It’s like people say, ‘Thank you for your service . . . but don’t ask me for a job.'” They deserve better. So this past spring at TiVo we filled a conference room with veterans on staff and said, “We’re not doing enough for people getting out of the military. Figure it out.” Those veterans of wars going back to Vietnam took 90 minutes to conceive and design a paid annual internship program for women and men just getting out of the military, or who have recently finished school after service. The TiVo Summer Veterans Intern Program (TiVets) is based on two ideas. First: Since we have internships for college students, why not vets? Second, a résumé credential “buffer,” such as the internship, answers the critical question of whether a veteran can successfully transition to civilian employment.
Tom Perez, Unemployed Veteran, Becomes Employer with Meineke Car Care Center Franchise
Huffington Post –August 15, 2012
Tom Perez didn’t expect to have any problem finding a job. He spent a decade as a police officer in the Navy, serving in four tours in Iraq, working his way up to supervisor of the police unit, earning numerous medals and getting a business degree. But after he was honorably discharged from the military in late 2011, he applied for more than 100 police and government jobs around the country, and faced rejection after rejection. “I thought it would be easy to walk out with 10 years in military service into a police officer job, but that was untrue,” Perez said. “I felt like I did everything for this country and they didn’t want to help me out.” Like Perez, many veterans return from service to find themselves unemployed — sometimes even unemployable. Rather than continuing to apply for jobs, Perez decided to switch tactics and apply for franchise opportunities, hoping to provide a living not just for himself and his family, but for other veterans struggling to find employment.
Veterans look to franchising opportunities for new careers
USA TODAY –August 15, 2012
Like other American veterans, Air Force Master Sgt. Darrel Ferdinand needed a plan for his life after war. And one sector of the economy offered an answer — starting his own business. He hopes to make that happen within the next six months when he opens a UPS Store near his home in New Orleans East, an area struggling to attract businesses seven years after Katrina. “I’m trying to get the future right,” says the 47-year-old Ferdinand. Finding employment has been a struggle for many of these newest war veterans. An estimated 218,000 Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans were jobless the second quarter of this year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan stood at 10.4% in the second quarter.
Meyer and Schmiegel: Helping veterans with transition and jobs
Washington Times –August 14, 2012
As we approach the 11-year anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, America’s armed forces have returned by the thousands from Iraq and we are in the early stages of the drawdown in Afghanistan. More than a decade later, many of the men and women who defended our country have left the service — only to find a grim employment picture waiting for them. In 2011, the jobless rate for veterans who have served in our nation’s military since 9/11 was 50 percent higher than the national average. Veterans 24 and younger faced a staggering 29.1 percent unemployment rate last year. While organizations are working to address this national security imperative, we have witnessed firsthand the difficulties our brothers- and sisters-in-arms have faced as they transition from the military. Many private-sector companies are stepping up and finding innovative ways to help these men and women — many of whom are searching for civilian jobs for the first time since graduating from high school.
Job-seeking veterans get help developing ‘personal brand’
CNN U.S. –August 13, 2012
Veterans are getting a helping hand in developing their “personal brand” and hopefully raising their chances for employment. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will distribute Personal Branding guides to veterans as part of a new initiative to help more veterans secure civilian jobs. The initiative offers tips for vets to compete against other job-seekers. “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 team, talk about your incredible work ethic,” said Kevin Schmiegel, vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.”
Over 2,000 jobs available for Veterans, Military Families in Washington, D.C.
The Examiner –August 13, 2012
If you’re one of the 8.2 percent of individuals that are still unemployed and can’t seem to find suitable employment right now, you’re going to be sorely disappointed unless you are a military veteran or family member as over 30 major employers are seeking to fill more than 2,000 jobs in the Washington, D.C. metro area. The 100,000 Jobs Mission is bringing a major hiring event to Bethesda, Maryland for U.S. military veterans, wounded warriors, transitioning service members and military spouses seeking employment. More than 2,000 open positions in defense, technology, customer service, healthcare, financial services and retail will need entry level and senior management roles positions filled. Interested candidates who wish to attend are highly encouraged to register online prior to the attending the event.
WSOS offering free job training for veterans
Fremont News Messenger – August 13, 2012
Area veterans can now access free job training through a pilot program offered now at WSOS Community Action Commission. WSOS is one of six Community Action Agencies in Ohio offering the Ohio Vocation, Education, Training and Services (Ohio VETS) program, which is supported by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, and U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ripley.
Stories From Main Street: Finding Jobs For Veterans in Stamford
CBS Local – August 13, 2012
The war in Iraq is over and operations in Afghanistan are winding down. As veterans return home, their next challenge is finding a job. It’s easy to spot unemployed veterans. Many still have crew cuts, spit-shine shoes, and resumes in hand. “Atrocious. Nothing at all out there. You’re doing 10 to 15 interviews a day and not getting a call back. No one’s hiring. Everyone’s blaming it on the economy,” Victor O’Shauna of Stamford told WCBS 880 reporter Sean Adams.
Marine’s new duty in Meriden: Helping vets find jobs
Meriden Record-Journal –August 13, 2012
Jay Diaz knows what the job market for veterans returning home is like. He remembers the struggle he had finding a permanent job after a 10-year stint with the Marines. “It was frustrating,” said Diaz, who has been out of the Marine Corps for about nine years. “I’m very proud of my time in the Marine Corps, but the skills I had and what I learned there did not necessarily transfer to when I came home.”
Veteran business owners get tips on government contracting
MLive.com – August 13, 2012
Several local business-owning armed forces veterans may get a bolster in business in the near future. The Procurement Technical Assistance Centers of Michigan recently held a free seminar recently at VetBizCentral in Flint to explain the benefits and opportunities associated with securing government contracts at the federal, state and local levels.
Veterans can learn about farming at Nebraska workshops
KTIV – August 13, 2012
A new program designed to help returning veterans become farmers and ranchers is planning more workshops this month. The Veteran Farmers Project is funded by the Agriculture Department’s Risk Management Agency and the Center for Rural Affairs in Nebraska. It’s also supported by a coalition of farm groups.
Job Hunt Help for Ohio Veterans
Public News Service – August 13, 2012
Adjusting to life after military service is no easy task, especially for Ohio veterans facing a struggling economy. The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies is launching a new program to help aid low-income veterans through job education and training. Deborah Ferguson, director of outreach and social services for the Community Action Partnership of the Greater Dayton Area, says the veterans will work with case managers who have experience working with veterans or are veterans themselves.
Area Veterans learn of second chance for education
Las Vegas Review – Journal – August 13, 2012
It was a different crop of prospective students that showed up Friday morning for orientation at the College of Southern Nevada. Instead of fresh-faced high school graduates, about forty mainly gray-haired military veterans gathered in hopes of improving their prospects. The down-on-their-luck veterans, some of whom were homeless, previously thought going back to school wasn’t an option. They couldn’t afford it on their own and didn’t qualify for the GI Bill.
Hiring Our Program to Assist Veterans in Job Searches
3D Car Shows –August 13, 2012
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. announced today a partnership with Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Dakota Meyer and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s National Chamber Foundation as part of an ongoing initiative to support returning troops and veterans making the transition from military to civilian jobs. Sgt. Meyer, the first living Marine in three decades to receive the Medal of Honor, will be appearing at various Hiring Our Heroes job fairs around the country to meet with veterans and help them understand the importance of personal branding and how to translate military skills to future employers. Toyota, Hiring Our Heroes and Sgt. Meyer recognized an existing void in the veteran job market and the need for skill translation tools to bridge the gap between military credentials and civilian job descriptions. Working in unison to develop personal branding collateral, today will mark the beginning of distribution of those materials at 400 job fairs around the country.
WV Department of Veterans Assistance reports memorial progress
State Journal – August 12, 2012
Two more monuments along the Memorial Walkway at the recently opened Donel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery have been completed. The Memorial Walkway weaves through parts of the cemetery grounds and it features statues, lights, fountains and citing areas. The walkway currently contains four monuments – two of which were completed and installed prior to the cemetery prior to the cemetery’s dedication on Memorial Day. The Prisoners of War and Missing in Action Memorial is the first monument along the walkway and the Global War on Terrorism Memorial, modeled after the Twin Towers, is the second.
Program helps veterans re-enter civilian workforce
St. George Daily Spectrum – August 11, 2012
If you are a veteran looking for assistance in transitioning into civilian life, finding a job or getting the training needed to get a job, then you need to learn more about the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) program. VETS is an independent agency within the Department of Labor created specifically to assist veterans in making the transition from military to civilian life, train for and find good jobs, and to protect the employment and reemployment rights of veterans, Reservists and National Guard Members.
Sen. Cantwell in Pasco to talk about veterans tax credit
Tri-City Herald – August 11, 2012
After 10 years serving in the Oregon National Guard, Heather Louisiana sent out 40 resumes before she landed an interview at In Home Medical in Pasco. “After being on active duty for five to six years, I didn’t have the civilian experience,” said Louisiana, who is known affectionately as “Sarge” by her co-workers at the medical supply company. She had driven trucks in the area devastated by Hurricane Katrina and in Afghanistan and Iraq, but she had to work to convince employers that she also could do office work and had the leadership and organizational skills to make her a valuable employee.
Fundraisers help homeless veterans
Danville Commercial News –August 11, 2012
A couple of fundraisers in recent weeks have brought in thousands of dollars for the homeless program at the Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System. More than $1,500 was raised during a cornhole tournament and $12,000 was netted during Thunder Ride. Jennifer Gerrib, coordinator of the Homeless Veteran Program, was pleased with the outpouring of support from the community.
