Veterans Day Reflection: 6 Best Practices for Serving Job-seeking Veterans in Workforce Development

What Is Workforce Development’s Role in Serving Veterans?

I asked Peter Romano, U.S.M.C., Corporal E-4, who is now a workforce development Veterans Specialist, about his passion for serving his fellow comrades:

“The question should be why isn't everyone passionate about serving Veterans? On the surface, being a Veteran is a simple definition, someone who has served in the military. I look at it as something so much more than that. People of all walks, religions, and color sign up to serve the country, the "whole country," protect people who do not agree with their way of life, religion, or political background, but there they are serving the country in a way that promotes self-sacrifice, people, and country first. We need more of this in today's environment.”

First, let’s look at some Veteran unemployment statistics.

Veterans and Unemployment

The national unemployment rate for Veterans reached 8.6% in June 2020; by September it had dropped to 6.4%. While still high by pre-COVID standards, it is still lower than the national unemployment rate of 7.9%. Yet the long-term economic effects of the pandemic remain to be seen for all groups, including Vets.

Despite the low unemployment rates for Veterans, there is still room for improvement in the areas of recruitment, training, networking and outreach as outlined in the 6 best practices below.

Best Practice #1 – Develop a Targeted Recruitment Strategy

The first step in assisting Veterans in their employment journey is to develop a winning military recruiting strategy. This can include seeking out and attending job fairs hosted by the military or related organizations. Partnering with the military to co-host a job fair is another great option, as is helping clients look for open positions on military job boards, such as Military.com's Careers Channel.

A strong recruitment strategy should include outreach to all community partners, Veterans organizations, government entities, and local high schools and colleges, where you can reach Veterans through enrolled students. Be sure to check out the additional websites and resources at the end of the blog.

Best Practice #3 – Networking, Referrals and Employer Outreach

As a workforce professional, there’s no question that you have a wealth of resources and connections that will benefit your Veteran client. Be sure to leverage existing team members and networks within your own professional or social circles. Inquire within your regional offices to find out if anyone is former military and ask if they can refer any unit buddies or other Vets to share knowledge and network with. Military.com's Veterans Career Network is a great resource as well.

It is also important to mention that Veterans may need pre-employment assistance such as treatment for PTSD, depression, or substance use disorders. If Veterans are in need of counseling for any of these, referrals to supportive services and agencies that can help them overcome their barriers and issues will get them on the right path to healthier living and sustainable employment. Here are a few helpful resources:

• National Veterans Foundation– Offers crisis management, information referrals and outreach for veterans in need. Call: 855-838-5444
• Give an Hour—This organization connects customers to a local mental health clinic for a free, in-person counseling session. Email: info@giveanhour.org
• Homecoming for Veterans—Extensive directory includes a list of clinicians across the U.S. who have agreed to see Veterans for 20-minute sessions at no cost. Call: 877-334-4334

For companies that hire Veterans, the consensus is clear: Veterans represent an excellent candidate pipeline. Research from the Center for a New American Security shows that hiring Veterans is good business, according to interviews with 87 individuals representing 69 companies. The companies reported 11 reasons they hire Veterans, with an emphasis on Veterans’ leadership and teamwork skills, character and discipline.

Feel free to cite the above research to encourage partner employers you work with to market their organization as a Veteran employer of choice. Veteran-friendly organizations should be encouraged to build their company's brand in the military community. Highlighting Veterans who work in their organization and talking about the fantastic job they do would reinforce the value of employing these high-caliber individuals.

Rivera reflected on the resources he used when making his transition back into the civilian workforce and said these are strategies he uses with his clients as well.

• Use GI Bill benefits for college: “I did this myself and it provided a wonderful opportunity for me to connect with other Veterans (some even professors) and tap into a wealth of knowledge and inspiration.”
• Seek out Veterans groups and organizations in your region: “I have used these same resources to achieve my goals and beyond. Joining together with fellow Veterans helps us all see what can be achieved to establish ourselves.”
• Research small business services: “A great resource if you’re considering the entrepreneur path. This is where I found resources to begin my journey as an entrepreneur.”

Best Practice #6 – Help Support Regional/Economic Alignment

LWDBs, the Department of Commerce, Office of Workforce Development, and community colleges are great examples of entities poised to help our Veterans achieve sustainable employment. It’s important to leverage long-standing relationships with these partners to ensure the alignment with existing local, regional, and state education, workforce, and economic development initiatives. Every area of the country is covered by these organizations. Local Workforce Development Boards may be specific to a city, a county, or a multi-county region, and each one is an expert on the people they serve and the high-priority occupations in their area. Community colleges are an invaluable resource in helping all individuals fill in their skills gaps, and many have staff devoted to helping Veterans gain the credentials they need to leverage their military experience into a rewarding career.

In 2017, EDSI created a series of fast-track industry-specific training programs, a.k.a boot camps to offer jobseekers a quicker and more innovative way to transfer the skills they already possessed into family wage-sustaining careers in industries such as IT, manufacturing, healthcare, and customer service.

Each boot camp lasts about 4 weeks and can be delivered virtually or in person. These boot camps have proven to be successful with jobseekers in many of our programs across multiple states. Participants in our 2019 Delaware County EARN Customer Service Boot Camp achieved an 83% employment rate. This high success rate proves the effectiveness of the training and its ability to create opportunities for underserved populations.

How to Best Serve Veterans

When I asked Hector Rivera what advice or recommendations he had for other workforce professionals around the country who are trying to serve Veterans, he offered 4 great tips:

1. Actively listen. Veterans have a difficult transition as they return to the general populace. Many Veterans have endured more than anyone can imagine and often need to be reminded that they are human.
   
2. Research
   • Educate yourself on all 5 branches of service and their reserve components.
   • Know how to identify a service member via their DD form 214, which is a document of the United States Department of Defense issued upon a military service member's retirement, separation, or discharge from active duty in the Armed Forces.
   • Be familiar with MOS – the military occupational specialty code, a nine-character code used in the United States Army and United States Marine Corps to identify a specific job.
3. Empathize. Show compassion toward Veterans and with military spouses (including those who are widowed) who have endured long-term separation from their loved ones.
   
4. Remember. Your efforts are never in vain. Patience to serve those who have served can become overwhelming. It’s a service that speaks volumes to other Veterans when done properly.