Veterans employment issues are one of the leading concerns for the American Freedom Foundation. According the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report, post 9/11 Veterans have an unemployment rate of 10.9%, higher than all veterans (7.7%) and non-veterans (8%). “After 11 years of war, our Veterans and their families need help finding jobs,” said American Freedom Foundation Co-Founder SMA Jack Tilley (retired). “They have given so much to our country, providing opportunities for employment is one way we can give something back to them.”
Beginning in 2011, the American Freedom Foundation, in partnership with CareerBuilder, began hosting Veterans Hiring Events throughout the country, including the Washington DC Region, San Diego and Chicago. The hiring events bring together major companies to profile their services and provide employment opportunities for our Veterans. Attending Veterans have the chance to talk with employers, submit qualifications, and participate in job interviews. Attendance is free and open to all Veterans and active duty military.
The Foundation wraps up its 2012 nationwide tour on November 10th in Fairfax, Virginia with the Second Annual Veterans Hiring Event – Washington Capital Region. Accenture, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, First Command, CACI, Mindteck, American Red Cross and InfoReliance are some of the corporate employers that have stepped up to participate and support our Veterans. In addition, the Veterans Administration (VA), U.S. Office of Personnel Management Veterans Services, Department of Defense Civilian Personnel Management System, Department of Labor and Department of Energy will be on hand to help make Veterans aware of services available to them. To learn more about this event and our nationwide effort to find jobs for our Veterans, visit us at www.affhiringevents.com.
In addition to the upcoming Washington DC Region Hiring Event, the American Freedom Foundation recently partnered with the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce to host a symposium on hiring Veterans. The event, attended by two hundred people, provided employers with information and best practices to develop and execute successful and sustainable Veterans hiring programs within their companies. A second track of the half-day symposium, developed for active duty military and Veterans, focused on transitioning into the private sector and climbing the career ladder. The day culminated with one-on-one mentoring sessions between veterans and corporate professionals, many of which are also Veterans.
As we enter the last few months of 2012, we know that employment issues will continue to be a primary concern for our Veterans. Please join us in helping our Veterans by sharing this blog post with employers and Veterans looking for jobs in Washington DC Region. To learn more about the American Freedom Foundation and how you can support Veterans, visit us online at www.americanfreedomfoundation.org.
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