It’s disgraceful veterans who sacrificed for this country cannot find jobs when they get back home.
Here in Minnesota, there are some bright statistics, to some degree. There were 3,940 veterans listed as unemployed in 2015, a big improvement over the 15,285 who were unemployed in 2010 when the economy was so much more depressed.
Still, many of the employed veterans now are working, like many non-veterans, in two, three or more part-time jobs – often far below their talents and skill levels, and most often without any benefits.
Thus, underemployment is an ongoing problem.
There is hope, however. Many companies are developing strategies for meeting and hiring veterans. In some cases, if the veterans need to hone their skills to fit a particular company’s needs, the company pays for courses to teach a veteran the requisite skills. That’s only one hire-a-veteran strategy. There are other good ones proposed by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, also known as DEED.
Here are some strategies companies can put in place:
- Make a commitment. Take definite steps to hire veterans rather than just talk about it.
- Get the word out. Let others know you want to hire veterans and then make an effort to meet veterans through organizations and support groups. Reach out, give veterans interviews, give them a chance.
- Start a support network for veterans on the company staff. Blue Cross/Blue Shield, based in the Twin Cities, matches up veterans on staff, and their support network becomes aware of other veterans in need, including prospective employees. They also help deployed veterans through yard work, repairs or other needs for their families.
- Make connections with veterans outside the company. For example, the Wells Fargo banking system donates homes to wounded veterans, provides grants to veterans’ organizations and supports a wide range of veterans-related events.
- Deploy communications strategies to reach out to veterans: word-of-mouth, social media, job fairs, advertising and more. Let veterans know you are there; let them know you are willing to consider them for hiring.
Employers who used one or more of the above strategies are happy they did. One of them is Erick Ajax, co-owner of E.J. Ajax Metalforming Solutions in the Twin Cities.
“We really started to discover the gold mine of hiring military veterans,” he said. “Our retention rate of our veterans is somewhere north of 80 percent. They come in with just awesome transferable skills.”
Veterans have served our country, in many cases risking their lives. It’s time for all of us to express our gratitude and not just through words but through giving them the decent jobs they deserve – and have earned.
