The Labor Department calculated the unemployment rate among post-9/11 veterans to be 9 percent in 2013, a number that represents a drop from the 9.9 percent rate in 2012, but that’s still much higher than the rate among non-veterans—5.9 percent according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics’ most recent calculations.
A number of businesses and industries have stepped up their efforts to offer assistance in reducing the veteran unemployment rate, including companies such as Uber, Tesla, and Microsoft. The wireless industry is also joining the crusade, seeking to train veterans to take jobs in the field. Warriors4Wireless is a nonprofit helping connect veterans to employment in wireless companies that are always seeking new qualified technicians.
On Veteran’s Day, Warriors4Wireless will host the event “Wireless Warriors Lead the Pack” at GrayWolves Telecom in Carrollton, Texas. It’s designed to highlight a joint program between the business and the nonprofit that’s training vets to start careers in the wireless industry and invite more vets and business leaders to participate.
Lisa Hanlon, CEO of GrayWolves Telecom, told the Carrolton Leader, “Far too many of our veteran-heroes in Texas and across the country are struggling to find work once they leave military service. The goal of the program is to repay part of the debt we owe the brave men and women who have eminently sacrificed for our freedom. Simultaneously, the program will help these veterans acquire skills they need to pursue careers in wireless facility construction and maintenance.”
Kelley Dunne, the Executive Director of Warriors4Wireless, hopes the collaboration between the nonprofit and GrayWolves Telecom can be replicated across the country. “The workforce is the backbone of wireless expansion and economic growth in this country,” Dunne said. “The GrayWolves’ program helps veterans find meaningful careers in an industry that’s growing exponentially.”
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