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The 100,000 Jobs Mission today announced a new goal and name for the
coalition of companies committed to employing U.S. military Veterans.
Beginning today, the coalition will be renamed the Veteran Jobs Mission and
commit itself to collectively hiring a total of one million military
Veterans. This new commitment reflects the coalition's longstanding
commitment to support Veterans and their families.
Since its founding in 2011 by 11 corporations, the newly-renamed Veteran
Jobs Mission has grown to over 200 companies that have together -- as of
September 30, 2015 -- hired nearly 300,000 Veterans. The coalition reached
its original goal of hiring 100,000 Veterans in early 2014 and increased its
goal to 300,000 in early 2015. Representing almost every industry in the
U.S. economy, the coalition's efforts have contributed to the sharp decline
in the unemployment rate for post 9/11 Veterans, from just over 12 percent
in 2011 to 5 percent as of September 2015.
"I am thrilled that the Veteran Jobs Mission is raising the bar for
companies across the country by pledging to hire one million veterans and
military spouses," said First Lady Michelle Obama. "This is an incredible
commitment - and I know that these companies aren't doing it just because
it's the right thing to do for our country. They're doing it because it's
the right thing to do for their bottom line. Our veterans and military
spouses are some of the most dynamic, dedicated, and highly skilled
individuals in America - and I want to thank the Veteran Jobs Mission for
all they're doing to help these men and women continue to serve this nation
in the years and decades ahead."
"I'm incredibly grateful to the business community for its continued efforts
to support programs that recruit, train, and retain our transitioning
service members and Veterans," said Acting Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness Brad Carson. "The private sector has recognized the
wealth of values and skills our brave men and women have brought to their
organizations, and, through commitments like these, they are able to
continue to tap into this talent. It is not only for the good of their
businesses, however; it is for the good of our service members and for the
good of the nation."
The unemployment rate for the youngest groups of post 9/11 Veterans remains
high at 14.9 percent (ages 20-24) and 6.9 percent (ages 25-29) as of
September 2015. Hispanic and African-American post 9/11 Veterans also
continue to experience higher than average unemployment rates.
"The new name and goal for the Veteran Jobs Mission is reflective of its
success over the past several years as well as a pledge to continue
providing meaningful job opportunities for transitioning servicemembers, "
said Ross Brown, Director of Military and Veterans Affairs, JPMorgan Chase &
Co., a founding company of the Veteran Jobs Mission. "Our youngest Veterans
continue to face challenges finding work, so there is much more the Veteran
Jobs Mission can do to tackle this problem. With more than 200,000
servicemembers transitioning from active duty each year, employers must
redouble efforts to make Veterans' transitions to civilian careers
smoother."
Addressing Veteran Employment and Retention
In addition to a new commitment of hiring a total of one million Veterans,
the Veteran Jobs Mission will increase its focus on the engagement and
career development of Veterans in the private sector. This includes helping
Veterans better adapt to the workplace by establishing training, mentoring
and other critical onboarding programs.
A recent study from the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF)
at Syracuse University and VetAdvisor revealed an association between
Veteran job tenure and alignment with desired career fields. Veterans often
have difficulty in the first two years post-service matching their
capabilities, career aspirations and geographic location with job
opportunities. Further, a 2014 report from the RAND Corporation that
performed qualitative interviews with members of the Veteran Jobs Mission
found that Veterans were eager for more career development and support
programs.
To support the Veteran Jobs Mission's effort to address this issue, the
Center for a New American Security will conduct additional research on
performance, career development and retention to be released in 2016.
"Tremendous work has been done by the Veteran Jobs Mission and others to
change the way Veterans are perceived by employers," said Phillip Carter,
Senior Fellow and Counsel, Center for a New American Security. "Now,
employers want to better understand how Veterans perform in the workplace
and what steps can be taken to help them further excel. Our research will
look closely at the performance, career development and retention of
Veterans in the private sector, and the best practices Veterans and
employers can leverage to achieve the best possible outcomes for Veterans,
companies and the nation as a whole."
The coalition recently instituted industry-focused subgroups to increase
collaboration and best practices among member companies. Some coalition
companies do have Veterans-focused employee resource groups and mentoring
programs to aid retention and development efforts.
Resources from the Veteran Job Mission
As the Veteran Jobs Mission has evolved, the coalition has aggregated and
developed useful tips and resources for Veterans seeking to attain the
education and skills needed to find and secure meaningful post-separation
employment. The coalition has also developed resources to educate corporate
human resources professionals on how to optimize their Veterans hiring
practices.
A few of the many resources available to companies that are part of the
Veteran Job Mission include:
-- The Transition Field Guide for Veterans: Education, Employment and
Entrepreneurship after Service -- A guide that explores four paths
toward
meaningful employment, and identifies the necessary skills and education
needed to be successful
-- So You Want to Hire a Veteran -- A checklist of tips and tools designed
to guide small businesses seeking to hire one or more Veterans
-- Veterans Business Resource Groups (BRGs) - Informational resources used
by corporations to support and add momentum to an organization's
Veterans' initiatives and stakeholder relationships.
New Coalition Members
Each month, additional U.S. businesses -- spanning different geographies and
industry sectors -- are joining the Veteran Jobs Mission. To help hire one
million Veterans, recent additions to the coalition include PepsiCo, JLL,
Southwest Airlines, MGM Resorts International and Stanley Black and Decker.
"Southwest Airlines has a huge Heart for our Military. We are committed to
hiring, training, and retaining our Veterans, and it is important to become
a member of a coalition of employers who share the same commitment. We are
excited about becoming a member of the Veteran Jobs Mission and having the
opportunity to collaborate and share best practices with hundreds of other
companies who have the same passion and commitment for hiring Veterans,"
said Tina Clanton, Military and Veteran Liaison for Southwest Airlines.
"Military Veterans are highly trained and skilled men and women who uphold
the same values we look for in a Southwest Employee: a Warrior Spirit,
Servant's Heart and a Fun-LUVing attitude. Hiring them is good for our
company and for our country. Our colors may be blue, red, and yellow, but
our support is for the red, white, and blue."
"Veterans have long been a valuable part of MGM Resorts International's
workforce," said Ondra Berry, senior vice president of talent management and
organizational performance for MGM Resorts, and a brigadier general in the
Nevada Air National Guard. "We're proud to be a member of the Veteran Jobs
Mission coalition so that we can continue to ensure that there are good
civilian careers for the men and women who selflessly serve our country."
"Stanley Black & Decker realized instantly the value of the Veteran Jobs
Mission," said Ralph Doran, Director of Talent Management for Stanley Black
& Decker. "The irony of the Mission is that our Veterans are some of the
most talented individuals you will ever meet. Their work ethic, integrity
and selfless dedication to the success of their team make them a natural fit
for our company values. But even more impressive is the leadership
development they receive, their ability to lead change at a fast pace and
their agility to change directives as fast as the markets. While Veteran
resumes may not read like the natural industry progressions we see in other
talent pools, their results clearly reflect everything we are looking for.
The Mission is a safe harbor for us to learn, refine and evaluate our
strategies as they relate to Veteran Engagement. It isn't just about
targeting and hiring, but aiding in the transition and leveraging Veteran
Talent to grow our organization with the right talent for competing in the
marketplace."
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