Jobs for Vets Pilot Launches

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (DOL VETS)  agency Monday announced the launch of a 14-state pilot program to help veterans find employment after service to our nation.

Thomas Donohue, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said, Military veterans are prized by the business community not just for their technical expertise, but also for their leadership skills and dedication.

By leveraging a network of state and local chambers of commerce, this effort will expand on the U.S. Chamber’s “Hiring Our Heroes” initiative, which launched in 2008 to focus on the employment of wounded, ill and injured veterans as they transition from military service. This program involving the U.S. Chamber and DOL VETS will educate employers on the value of hiring veterans and help connect employers with veteran talent.

To support this program, Chamber executives will collaborate with the DOL VETS directors in their states to discuss sponsorship of events that offer veterans the opportunity to network with prospective employers. The pilot program launched in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and Georgia. The Chamber’s goal for 2011 is to expand the program into all 50 states.

Let there be no doubt, the Chamber is committed to our military heroes for the long haul, Donohue said. If we’re going to put America back to work and create 20 million jobs, it should start with the veterans who have protected our freedom.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.