You can contact the nearest American Job Center (AJC) for advice and guidance on recruiting and hiring veterans. These centers are run by the Department of Labor (DOL), which has partnered with the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA), to provide job counseling and career assistance to service members, veterans and the companies that want to hire them. This is a free service. Visit the AJC web site to locate the center closest to you.
Additionally, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation runs a nationwide initiative called “Hiring Our Heroes” to assist companies and veterans, see: Hiring Our Heroes has a workbook with other tools for employers.
Companies also have the opportunity to gain early access to these highly skilled service members as prospective employees before they become veterans through the DoD SkillBridge Authority. DoD SkillBridge enables service members to obtain valuable civilian job skills training from private sector employers up to six months prior to separating from the military (service members continue to receive their military pay and benefits while participating). Companies in dozens of growing industries -- from welding and advanced manufacturing to information technology -- are already participating.
Finally, note that DoD, along with its interagency partners of VA, DOL, Department of Education, Office of Personnel Management, and Small Business Administration, provide transition assistance through the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) to approximately 200,000 service members departing active duty each year. TAP strives to ensure that all transitioning service members are prepared to succeed in their post-military career plans. One key focus of TAP is civilian employment, with service members receiving training on resume development, and job search and interview techniques, among other topics.
Nathan D. Ainspan, Ph.D., is the Research Psychologist with the Transition to Veterans Program Office (TVPO). Dr. Ainspan's role is to ensure that this program is based on the latest best practices in behavioral/psychological science. Throughout his research career, he has also written, taught, and spoken about the psychological issues impacting wounded and transitioning Service members. His research focus has been on improving civilian employment opportunities for transitioning Service members and the psychosocial benefits that employment can have on wounded warriors and injured veterans and people with disabilities. He has edited the following books: The Oxford Handbook of Psychosocial Interventions for Veterans, When the Warrior Returns: Making the Transition at Home, and Returning Wars Wounded, Injured, and Ill: A Handbook. He is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and an APA Fellow of Divisions 18 (Psychologists in the Public Service) and 19 (Military Psychology). Dr. Ainspan received his Bachelors degree in American Studies from Wesleyan University and his Masters in Human Resources Psychology from Doctorate from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
Dr. Karin A. Orvis, Ph.D. is the Acting Director of the Transition to Veterans Program Office (TVPO) within the Department of Defense (DoD). She has been instrumental in redesigning the DoD Transition Assistance Program (TAP), which ensures that Service members are ‘career ready’ and prepared to transition to civilian life upon separation from active duty. As Chair of the interagency TAP Senior Steering Group, Dr. Orvis collaborates with leaders from the Departments of Defense, Labor, Veterans Affairs, Education, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, ensuring that transition assistance is a coordinated, interagency effort which meets the needs of our Service members. Prior to her current role, she was the Director of Evaluation and Assessment for TVPO, responsible for leading the program evaluation and assessment policies and programs, as well as TVPO’s research program. Dr. Orvis holds a Doctorate and a Master of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from George Mason University, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Michigan State University.
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