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Getting Veterans Back to Work

Employer tips for integrating veterans back into the workforce

By Stacy Collett

December 01, 2006 — CSO —

You don't have to enter a debate over the Iraq War to understand that reabsorbing returning American troops into the economy requires employers' sensitivity.

The stress of soldiering in a hostile environment bears out in a recent Pentagon study, covering the period of May 2003 to April 2004: 35 percent of Iraq veterans received mental health care during their first year home, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in March. What's more, 12 percent of the more than 222,000 returning Army soldiers and Marines in the study were diagnosed with a mental health problem. Researchers have said the results were not surprising, in part because the military has a new mental health screening program for returning soldiers and is encouraging them to get help early to prevent serious problems later.

It's also difficult for returning veterans to find work. In August 2005, the jobless rate for 3.4 million Gulf War era veterans (counting those who served starting in August 1990) was 5.2 percent (compared with the national rate of 4.6 percent in September 2006), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For younger veterans ages 20 to 24, the unemployment rate in 2005 was 15.6 percent.

The returning veteran, then, faces challenges in the job market. Here are some steps employers can take to help integrate them into the workforce.

1. Know how to connect with veterans—and why you might want to.

"Service members transitioning from the military today are some of the most educated, technically savvy, professionally qualified the armed forces have ever produced," says Willie Hensley, deputy assistant secretary for human resources management and labor relations for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Soldiers receive training in areas such as engineering, health care, information technology and security.

Employers can find qualified candidates through veterans job services agencies. Transition Assistance Centers near military installations can help companies find prospective employees. Also, the VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service provides career training and specialized education.

Several Web-based organizations, such as Military.com and Hirevetsfirst.gov, provide a way for veterans and employers to connect.

The insurance company Aflac uses its headquarters located near Fort Benning, Ga., with its 100,000

military personnel, family members, retirees and civilian employees, as a talent pool for recruits.

Explains Eric Fowler, senior corporate recruiter, "The [veteran] talent pool is one where we have found a significant advantage" as soldiers begin looking for new careers in nearby communities. By 2012, Aflac plans to add up to 3,000 new jobs in the Columbus area as its core business units expand, Fowler says.