July 25 is National Hire a Veteran Day and this year Disabled American Veterans is urging employers to take notice of veterans and the unique qualities they bring to the workplace.
According to DAV National Employment Director and U.S. Air Force and Army Veteran Ryan Burgos, nearly 4 million veterans have a service-connected disability and are among the most resilient members of society.
“Now it’s our turn to give back to those veterans who put their lives on the line for us,” he said. “Let’s get them a job, a job that they enjoy coming to work every day. When they enjoy coming to work every day, your organization will be better than it was yesterday.”
Burgos said veterans bring a variety of strengths to the civilian workforce – including project and time management skills.
“Organizations spend thousands of dollars on an annual basis trying to train their existing staff to have these skills,” he said. “When you hire a veteran, you get these skills from the beginning.”
Burgos said DAV is committed to connecting veterans, as well as transitioning active-duty service members and spouses, to meaningful employment opportunities through hosting virtual and in-person career fairs nationwide. The program has generated 174,000 job offers to veterans and spouses since it began in 2014.
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“This year alone, there’s been over 6,300 job offers extended to spouses and veterans after one of our job fairs,” he said.
And while the overall veteran unemployment rate as of April 2023 is low at 2.2%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics, many veterans remain under-employed, and the job market is tightening up.
In addition to career fairs, DAV offers free mentoring opportunities and access to a national job board which provides a listing of openings available across the country and can connect prospective employees with potential employers.
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Employers looking to add veterans to their talent pool can tap into DAV programs and resources to learn more. One program is the DAV Patriot Employer Program, which recognizes employers’ commitment to hiring veterans as demonstrated by their employment policies, hiring practices, and community outreach. A free, downloadable resource for employers is DAV’s Guide to Hiring and Retaining Veterans with Disabilities, which provides information from best employment practices to hiring tax credits available to companies.
For more information, visit here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.