July 25 is National Hire a Veteran Day and Disabled American Veterans is urging employers to take notice of veterans and the unique qualities they bring to the workplace.
Marking its 10th year in 2024, DAV’s National Employment Program has a decade of first-hand experience and testimony from veterans being connected to life-changing, meaningful employment opportunities.
“These are not just jobs that will hold them over, these are career opportunities where you can stay for long periods of time and continue to be that provider for your family,” Ryan Burgos, DAV’s national employment director, said.
Burgos is a service-disabled Air Force and Army veteran of the Iraq war. In his role at DAV, he leads the organization’s job fair program to connect veterans and transitioning service members to employers, manages special employment initiatives and works with private and public sector entities to develop and build partnerships to address joblessness and underemployment.
DAV’s nationwide job fairs are one way that veterans and their spouses are connected to employment opportunities. Since 2014, over 185,000 job offers have been extended to fair attendees across more than 1,000 events.
DAV job fairs have hosted thousands of employers who understand the value veterans bring to the workplace in terms of leadership, resilience and soft skills developed through the demands of military service.
When asked why civilian employers should hire veterans, Burgos posed a question himself.
“Why not?” he asked. “These service members sign their name on the dotted line. They said they were willing to give the ultimate sacrifice. Now their off of active duty, they’ve got the key attributes and skills that quite frankly every employer around the country spends thousands of dollars on a daily basis trying to teach.”
In addition to the no-cost job fairs, DAV offers veterans and their spouses access to a national job board, which provides a listing of openings available across the country and can connect prospective employees with potential employers, Burgos said.
Burgos added that employers looking to add veterans to their talent pool can also benefit from the DAV Patriot Employer Program, which recognizes employers’ commitment to hiring veterans, and DAV’s Guide to Hiring and Retaining Veterans with Disabilities.
More information and resources are available here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.