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Maurice Wilson
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ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 1, 2017 — The SHRM Foundation, an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and the National Association of Veteran-Serving Organizations (NAVSO) launched the Integrating and Engaging Veterans in the Workforce project at a summit today.
The event, held at SHRM’s Alexandria, Va. headquarters and sponsored by United States Automobile Association (USAA), kicks off efforts to support veteran hiring and retention at national and local levels.
Recent studies indicate that many veterans struggle during the transition from military service to the civilian sector.
In a SHRM survey, Employing Military Personnel and Recruiting Veterans: What HR Can Do, 60 percent of those who participated in the survey indicated they have experienced challenges related to hiring veterans due to difficulty translating military skills to civilian job experience and 48 percent indicated that veterans experienced difficulty transitioning from the structure and hierarchy in the military culture to the civilian workplace culture.
The summit, which brings together key stakeholders to share insights, knowledge and ideas, is the first step in a multi-year project to generate needed research and solutions to support organizations in hiring and engaging military veterans.
“Veterans are national assets. HR practitioners are uniquely skilled to ensure veterans are productively employed and integrated into the workforce in a way that serves both them and their families, as well as the organizations employing them,” said Mark Schmit, executive director, SHRM Foundation.
Participants at today’s summit are working to:
- Identify successful research-based practices currently in use.
- Identify ways that local SHRM chapters and state councils can make an impact on the employment and retention of veterans.
- Bolster business case arguments for investing in hiring veterans.
- Determine which existing veteran hiring and retention programs need research to validate their effectiveness and what related issues still need evidence-based solutions.
- Moving forward, the project will leverage the SHRM network of more than 285,000 HR professionals and NAVSO member organizations and partners to help identify and create local solutions regarding this important issue.
Media: To learn more, contact Sundra Hominik of SHRM Media Relations at 703-535-6273 and sundra.hominik@shrm.org or Kate Kennedy at 703-535-6260 and kate.kennedy@shrm.org.
About the SHRM Foundation
The SHRM Foundation champions workforce and workplace transformation and inspires HR professionals to make it happen. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the SHRM Foundation provides HR professionals with scholarships, opportunities, solutions and resources to create change in their organizations and their communities. The SHRM Foundation works to empower HR professionals to build inclusive organizations where all employees thrive and organizations achieve success. Online at shrmfoundation.org.
About the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest HR professional society, representing 285,000 members in more than 165 countries. For nearly seven decades, the Society has been the leading provider of resources serving the needs of HR professionals and advancing the practice of human resource management. SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China, India and United Arab Emirates. Visit us at shrm.org and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @SHRMPress.
