Unemployment has been one of the greatest challenges facing veterans for decades. However, the private and public sectors, as well as nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups, have made up some serious ground in the fight to get veterans to work in the past few years, which ought to have significantly positive impacts on the community at large. Veterans are often hailed for their work ethic and skills, making them exceptional candidates in many industries.
Additionally, considering the fact that homelessness is also a major threat to veterans, ensuring that they have access to capital upon returning home from their service can help to alleviate a range of hardships among the group. One major, national initiative that is among the biggest around today is moving along at a healthy pace, but leaders of the program have argued that there is still plenty of work to be done with respect to giving veterans real opportunities.
A complex challenge
Military Times recently reported that JPMorgan Chase and Starbucks have managed veteran job initiatives throughout the past several years and seen real impacts as a result, but are looking to increasingly focus upon the lasting effects for participants. The source pointed out that 314,000 veterans have been hired in the past five years through JPMorgan Chase's Veteran Jobs Mission, while Starbucks has The Muster to ease the strains of transitioning into civilian life.
According to the news provider, retired Army General Ray Odierno argued that the programs indeed need some improvement to ensure that veterans are engaged and retained in their newly acquired employment positions while speaking at an event in the nation's capital last week. As a note, about 300 leaders from a range of backgrounds attended this event to hear discussions related to veteran hiring initiatives.
Interestingly, Military Times discussed the event with Starbucks Senior Vice President of Global Responsibility, Community and Public Policy who stated that this particular meeting was meant to bring the conversation into the long-term. It appeared as though most of those who ran the discussions wanted the focus to turn away from pure employment gains to the substantive, lasting impacts of the programs involved, with sustainable gains being the highest priority.
A necessary pursuit
Veteran unemployment rates have dropped to historic lows in some states, and the numbers have been on a healthy track on the national level as well since the recession. This is partly due to the efforts of organizations like those mentioned above, but also has a lot to do with the improving economy. One of the hottest areas of employment today is IT, and many veterans will be returning from service with applicable skills in the technology arena.
Veterans who are struggling to gain employment in the IT industry or elsewhere can find support through myriad channels today. Taking advantage of the programs in place to boost veteran employment is a great way to position oneself for success in the job market.