When military members leave the service, many struggle to find a job — often having to study for a new degree or certification in order to qualify for a position, all the while not being able to rely on consistent income.
To help solve this problem before it even arises, Microsoft is working with Marines at Camp Pendleton in California (and two other U.S. military bases), offering a 16-week certification program in Information Technology to soldiers planning to leave the service in the near future.
Sergeant Taylor Harris, one of the participants in the Microsoft Systems and Software Academy, told Bob Lawrence of ABC 10 News, “It’s great to be able to do this while we are transitioning because we still get a stable paycheck because we’re on active duty.”
Although none of the veterans are guaranteed a job with Microsoft, part of the academy is an interview training session that helps many of them secure an IT position. And at the end of the course, each of them is flown to Redmond, Washington to interview with the tech giant. Navy veteran Sean Kelley, Microsoft’s Senior Staffing Director of Cloud and Enterprise Group, told Lawrence, “70 percent of those who go through the program are working in the tech industry.”
In January, Kelley testified before Congress about what Microsoft has learned from its veteran recruiting efforts, and how the company believes that training veterans in IT can help solve the industry’s problem with finding enough people with technical skills to hire.
“Economic projections point to a need for approximately one million more STEM professionals than the United States will produce at the current rate over the next decade,” he told the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “The United States graduates about 300,000 bachelor and associate degrees in STEM fields annually. Fewer than 40 percent who enter college intending a major in a STEM field complete a STEM degree. It is clear that many people, including veterans, lack the technology skills and industry certifications employers look for to fill the tens of thousands of available IT jobs across a broad range of industries. Eight years ago when we started exploring how Microsoft could be helpful to our transitioning veterans, we were surprised to learn there were very few opportunities for veterans to acquire these in-demand skills.”
Classes like this one are helping many veterans find not only a job, but a high-paying and satisfying career. Tuition for the class costs about $3,000 on Camp Pendleton, compared to $10,000 to $20,000 for a similar certification course off base. Corporal Joseph Priest told Lawrence, “As soon as I heard about this opportunity, I jumped on it…you put a little bit aside for tuition costs, and might get a job that lands you between 60 to 80k. I think it’s worth it.”
MORE: Here’s A New Website Bringing Unemployed Veterans and Understaffed Tech Companies Together
Tag: Hiring Veterans
This Supercomputer Is Helping Vets Transition Back to Civilian Life
When many of us last heard about Watson, the artificially-intelligent computer that scientists at IBM programmed to understand and respond to questions asked in normal language, it was destroying Jeopardy! mega winners Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter on the famous quiz show, winning $1 million in prize money.
But Watson’s creators wondered if their machine could serve a higher purpose than embarrassing big-brained game show geeks, and now it will. Two weeks ago, IBM and USAA, the insurance company serving over 10 million military members, veterans and their families, announced that Watson’s brain power will be available online to all its members who are looking to transition out of the military and establish civilian careers. All they need to do is enter a query through Ask Watson on USAA’s homepage or mobile app.
Neff Hudson, USAA’s vice president of emerging channels, told Doug Henschen of Information Week, “More and more of the interactions that we’re getting from our members are coming through our digital channels, including our web and mobile sites, so we’re trying to make these channels as adept at delivering advice as a human being in our call center.”
Watson has been programmed to learn from each of its interactions, becoming more helpful at answering questions as it receives more input. Because transitioning from the military can elicit so many complicated questions — from what to do about health insurance, to how to craft a resume that will appeal to a civilian employer, to how to manage saving for retirement or the best way to fund an education — a wise guy like Watson is sure to be of assistance.
MORE: This Innovative Car Company Makes Employing Veterans Part of Its Mission
This Innovative Car Company Makes Employing Veterans Part of Its Mission
Remember how Tesla recently made headlines when its founder Elon Musk announced his plan to share the design for Superchargers, the quick recharging stations for its electric cars, with other auto makers? Well, Tesla is back in the news with another forward-thinking plan: To hire more veterans as they expand their product lines and workforce.
Arnnon Geshuri, Tesla’s vice president of human resources, told Dana Hull of San Jose Mercury News, “We want to be known throughout the veteran community as a great place to work. Veterans are a great source of talent for Tesla, and we’re going after it.”
Tesla already does an exceptional job of hiring vets: Of its 6,000 current employees, 300 are veterans. Ted Daywalt, president and CEO of the job board VetJobs told Hull, “[Tesla has] a good reputation. They hire veterans who can talk to other veterans. There is a language in the military, and having someone who can speak the lingo is important.”
While some employers have difficulty understanding that military skills can translate into a civilian jobs, Tesla seeks veterans for their technical and mechanical expertise and their ability to work as a part of a team. Veterans employed in Tesla’s human resources department know just what jobs soldiers would be a natural fit for.
Monthly, the company hosts meetings for its veteran employees to talk and suggest ways to improve operations, and it’s more than understanding when employees who are on active military duty need to deploy. Jason Deming, a vehicle test technician for Tesla who is also a member of the Air National Guard said, “HR was phenomenal with my deployment. I can serve my country and save lives but also work on the forefront of technology.”
Greg Reichow, Tesla’s vice president of production, told Hull that the vet-friendly approach aligns perfectly with the company’s goals. “At Tesla we’re not just building cars. We’re trying to transform transportation,” he said. “[Veterans] also know how to lead teams, focus teams and function on teams, and they have incredible integrity and discipline.”
If only other companies would follow Tesla’s lead, the jobless rate amongst veterans could certainly reach the same (lower) level as non-veteran unemployment.
MORE: Here’s A New Website Bringing Unemployed Veterans and Understaffed Tech Companies Together
Meet The Soldiers Turned Roadies Coming to a Stadium Near You
Back in April, we told you about how KISS and Def Leppard planned to offer some veterans the summer job of a lifetime: Working as roadies for the bands’ summer tour. Now meet the winners of the contest, who will play instrumental roles behind the scenes.
Kayla Kelly was a radio operator in the Marines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now she’s joined the KISS army as their VIP coordinator, which means that she assists with autograph requests and more. Kelly knew she wanted to join the Marines when she was in seventh grade and her father, a New York City firefighter, was injured during the September 11 attacks. After her service, she struggled to find employment. “It was difficult just getting up and going to find a job let alone the job field not being big enough for everybody,” Kelly told Vanessa Herrera and R. Stickney of NBC San Diego.
Bill Jones will be assisting the Def Leppard stage manager. He’s a former Army helicopter pilot and has suffered from PTSD since his service in Iraq and Afghanistan. He told Angel Canales of ABC News, “The crew works together like a well-oiled machine, and my old unit worked was like a well-oiled machine. There are a lot of similarities in relying on one other to get their job done and being able to rely on that camaraderie. It’s a brotherhood in the military and it’s a brotherhood here.”
Rick Allen, the drummer of Def Leppard, has a personal reason for supporting this cause — he suffered PTSD after losing an arm in a car accident. He told ABC, “I think what we’re doing is setting an example. Just because you’ve been in a situation like Bill’s been in, or anybody that’s been to war, there should be no stigma attached to PTSD.”
This is the second summer the members of KISS have hired a veteran to work on their tour. Frontman Paul Stanley said, “It’s an honor to have anyone who served work with us. I feel like I’m in the presence of a hero. These are the people who make it possible for me to do what I do. They are owed not only a hero’s welcome, but they are owed whatever they need to work their way back into society.”
The bands will donate two dollars from every ticket to organizations that help vets such as the Wounded Warrior Project and Hiring Our Heroes.
Sounds like a great reason to rock out this summer.
MORE: These Rocking Bands Are Offering Veterans A Dream Job
Veterans Ask Employers to Give Them a Chance in This Moving Video
In 2013, the unemployment rate averaged 9 percent for veterans (according to Reuter’s) compared with the current 6.7 percent for all Americans, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While these stats demonstrate the employment difficulties facing many veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, they aren’t nearly as powerful (nor do they bring home the issue of veteran unemployment) as the personal tale of Army veteran Kayla Reyes.
Last week, a video of Reyes talking about how she felt discriminated against because of her service during an interview for a job with Macy’s went viral. Macy’s issued a response and offered her a job, but Reyes had already found a different job, as well as support from thousands of people who don’t want to see veterans treated this way.
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The Call of Duty Endowment, a nonprofit that identifies and provides funding to effective job placement programs for veterans, recently released a moving video of other veterans talking about their difficulties finding employment in the hopes that many of them will achieve the kind of happy ending that Reyes did — and that more employers will become inspired to help vets find jobs.
“I have a purple heart because I was wounded in combat,” one veteran says on the video. ” I thought I was going to bring it in and people would be like, ‘You’re a warrior, that’s pretty awesome! Come on board, you’re good!’ But that wasn’t the case.”
“The jobs weren’t as good as I thought they would be,” a former Marine explains. “You were in the military, perfect. We have a security position. It’s nine dollars an hour. You’ll love it because you get to hold the gun again.”
One veteran says employers seem to have the vision of “Hollywood PTSD” in their heads. “People see these movies with these guys freaking out, and think that I’m the same way.” Another veteran speaks for many when he says, “Give me a chance. Let me prove myself.”
MORE: Does Military Jargon Prevent Vets from Landing Jobs?
Why Vets Are Vital for the Tech Industry
Many programs that encourage companies to hire veterans emphasize the debt we owe these men and women for their service. But last week at Google’s New York headquarters Got Your Six, a nonprofit seeking to bridge the military-civilian divide, sponsored a presentation that suggested hiring veterans is not a feel-good philanthropic gesture, but a vital strategic move for tech businesses. The speakers pointed out the inventions and initiatives veterans have made for the companies they work for. For example, Google’s head of user operations is a veteran in charge of the company’s green energy efforts, and a former Marine leads Google’s Project Loon, whose aim is to bring Internet access to far-flung places through the use of balloons. Microsoft, AT&T, and other tech companies have stepped up their efforts to hire veterans in order to tap into their unique knowledge and experience.