Community Update

OIF/OEF Veterans and Unemployment - For Job Seekers and Employers!

Despite continued efforts by our leadership in the State and Federal Government, veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to have far more trouble finding and maintaining employment in the civilian sector compared to their non-veteran counterparts. This trend is only expected to become more of a problem, as the withdrawal from Iraq and wind-down in Afghanistan are going to force a downsize of our combat arms. Connecticut has about 215,000 Veterans in our state, and figuring a national average of 7.7% unemployment that means 16,555 Veterans are unemployed in this state alone, BUT IT IS WORSE THAN THAT! In 2012, the unemployment rate for veterans between 18-28 years old came in at a staggering 20.4%, which means 43,860 of our warriors are not working, or not working enough to provide (enderemployed).

With all of the programs out there to support our veterans, how can this be possible? The Federal Government has many programs to provide Veterans Preference for positions and certain regulations they must adhere to when assessing non-vet against veteran applicants. The state government gives a small preference to vets while selecting candidates, including a guaranteed interview for a position they are qualified for. There are also programs to entice employers to hire veterans first, such as The Step-up Program, which reimburses training funds through a grant to the employer, or provides a Wage subsidy up to $12,000 in 6 months to eligible employers. The CT Hire Vets First initiative, offered through the Department of Labor Office for Veterans Workforce Development, provides recruiting and pre-screening of qualified veteran applicants free of charge to CT Companies.

With all of these initiatives out there, you would think companies would be taking all of the veterans off the unemployment line. Some are timid of hiring combat veterans for fear that they might have flashbacks or be too stern in their interactions with co-workers or clients. Others are concerned that with a disabled vet comes lost time due to medical appointments and other issues related to the disability. All of these "Stigmas" are detrimental to a veteran's employment outlook. We as a country, and as a state, should be grateful for the sacrifices these vets have made, and be willing to sacrifice some precious time to afford them the treatment they deserve. Walmart has pledged to hire 100,000 veterans over the next year, almost guaranteeing a job to those honorably discharged in the same period (and they don't qualify for the grants and subsidies that small businesses with less than 100 employees do). If the leader in retail for the entire United States can make a pledge that large, can a small mom-and-pop do the same? I challenge them to try!

Here's what you get when you hire a vet:
*Discipline - Any veteran is immediately taught the importance of discipline from the moment they step foot in boot-camp to the moment they leave their Active Duty or Reserve career.
*Teamwork - All veterans understand how paramount teamwork is to successful operations, and learn from the start of military service that there is no independence in completing tasks as a unit.
*Leadership - Veterans are given great responsibility throughout their military service, and learn how to direct, delegate, and assert authority in critical times in order to accomplish goals. They are self motivated, and can easily work through stressful times.
*Accountability - When a veteran is given responsibility, they own everything under that umbrella. The success (or failure) belongs to them.
*Training - With such a technologically advanced military, many veterans have real-world experience with a variety of platforms. Though they may not have a college degree, they do have a desire to perform well, and a training based attitude that will help them learn any skill set.

I challenge our local businesses, large and small, to take a chance on a Veteran as your new employee. You will not be disappointed, and you will help bridge a gap that is only continuing to widen.

Thank you for your service!