Chamber Of Commerce, Labor Department Partner To Find Gigs For Vets

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Labor announced a joint effort on Friday to assist members of the military transitioning to the civilian workplace, a difficult adjustment made harder by the sagging economy. One in five young veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars - many of whom served in both - are unemployed.

The partnership was announced at a press conference at the U.S. Chamber's headquarters in Washington, across the street from the White House. The project is a massive attempt at networking: State directors from DOL's Veterans' Employment and Training Service will connect, using the Chamber's network, with hundreds of employers and CEOs to pitch them on why and how to hire a veteran. "Yesterday, our employment representatives met with one employer at a time," assistant secretary for veterans' employment and training Ray Jefferson told HuffPost Friday. "Today, thanks to the launch of this pilot, we will be able to meet with hundreds of employers at once."

The project will focus on 14 states and build on an ongoing collaboration to encourage the hiring of disabled vets. The DOL is statutorily obligated to assist vets in finding work.
Lt. Col. Christian Johnson, a fellow at the U.S. Chamber, is spearheading the vets program for the business organization. "When you think about it, there's no other labor force, if you will, that comes with the experience that veterans do, whether it's leadership, communication, working under stress. It doesn't get any better than that," he told HuffPost. "A lot of it is just helping educate employers out there."

The alliance is an unusual one: The Chamber has promised to spend tens of millions of dollars in 2010 to defeat Democratic candidates in the midterms and the White House has been harshly critical of the Chamber for working with Republicans to block its agenda in Congress. The two haven't cooperated in a major way since the stimulus passed in the first weeks of the administration. A Labor Department aide said that the government will work directly with state and local chambers of commerce, which are less politically charged than the national organization.

The public sector currently pulls much of the weight when it comes to hiring vets. According to DOL data, nearly 1 in 3 vets with a service-connected disability worked in the public sector; 1 in 5 is employed by the federal government.

Deputy Secretary of Labor Seth Harris said that finding work for vets is the least the nation can do. "They put themselves in harm's way for us. Now it's our turn to fight for them," said Harris. "When our young men and women return from serving their country, their country must stand ready to serve them in return. With this program, the Department of Labor and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are partnering to do just that."

Comments

[sarah amy]

11:08 AM on 10/26/2010

That's great that the government is making stabs at assisting the veterans of these wars, but it has a long, long way to go. In every area. Everywhere you look: employment, health care, mental health treatment, disability benefits (a joke, really, given the nature of the extensive injuries/amputations our troops are returning home with)...and the list goes on.

The way our nation treats our veterans is a true shame. George Washington said in 1789, "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by this country." I think the military is becoming a much less viable career of choice simply because of how little care and respect our veterans get. And maybe that's a good thing, seeing how the government is misusing it's military might around the globe.

[Gordon Soderberg]

12:07 AM on 10/22/2010

If you want to support veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq vote for democrats! Just look at the voting records of all democrats and republicans regarding veteran support bills. IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) have graded both parties records it might shock republican and independent voters. Read it for yourself.
http://iav­aaction.or­g/report-c­ard/a_team­_d_list

While I applaud the The U.S. Chamber of Commerce for this effort with the DOL, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce financial support republicans candidates who have a failing grades on veterans issues dwarfs their network by hundreds of millions of dollars. While our veterans return to find their jobs out sourced to another country makes you wonder if the U.S. Chamber of Commerce heart is really with the veterans. In my opinion it is not just follow the money and the votes they buy!

[zetacplus]

09:38 PM on 10/03/2010

A lot of businesses claim they support the troops but don't hire them. How does that equate to supporting them? They only say it because it makes them look good to the public and that's sickening.

[dhampton100]

09:13 PM on 10/03/2010

This effort could be helped immensely if the VA themselves would make an effort to employ Veterans. As it is there appears to be a concerted effort to continue rampant nepotism within the VA system leaving Honorable Discharged Veterans to fend for themselves. These current non- Veteran employees pass around information to each other about upcoming jobs and persuade their bosses to “pre-pick” the person who will secure employment. Sure, they go through the motions pretending to be fair but the fix is in. More qualified Veterans, with 5-10 point hiring preferences are routinely passed over for the person who is favored to be selected. If the VA refuses to hire Vets why should or would the private sector be motivated to do so? God forbid if the person in authority favors attractive women ( I share that attraction) but I still want a fair shot at getting a job! Neither do I think it is fair that the person in authority should be allowed to purchase his pleasure at the expense of Veterans losing out!

[AddyGmom]

05:59 PM on 10/03/2010

CofC = Crock O' Crap........

[Sean 6399]

05:04 PM on 10/03/2010

I think everybody would like to see every unemployed person that wants to work able to be productive and contribute to the economy. But is it really appropriate for government to divide the unemployed into different categories and favor one group over another?

My own opinion is that government should just focus structuring laws and policy to favor economic expansion generally, and refrain from trying to pick winners and losers.

I guess divide and conquer is just too effective and popular for polticians to refrain from indulging in it.

[Valley Vixon]

03:35 PM on 10/03/2010

Please I worked in the Chamber of Commerce world and trust me they won't do a thing. At least in California. All the local chambers want is the membership fee, after that nothing will be done. Mostly because the membership base is small to medium businesses that can't afford to hire. The U.S. Chamber is nothing more then a mouth piece for the corporate bullies. I want our vets to work, but for years I have seen non-profits pay the membership fees to promote hiring within communities. The chambers get the money, the Vets get ignored. One of the many reasons I left the chambers, the other is they are completely self absorbed. Now I am sure that in other areas the Chambers do fulfill a strong and honest service to the members, but not in large urban communities. It is not to their financial advantage. Besides they would lose the money they receive from local politicians, $500. here, $500. there. It adds up....

[Americanium]

02:25 PM on 10/03/2010

America's businesses and the wealthy have no stake in America's fights. They are not members of the armed forces and they refuse to help finance the wars..

Their only aim is to make as much money from wars as they can...

[Vernie31]

01:50 PM on 10/03/2010

Are you kidding me? The horror stories being reported on a daily basis of the issues that are
front and center with these peoples lives. They are damaged goods and are a threat to society!
This is what happens when a country sends its people to fight a War based on lies and half truths.
they too become victims of the LIES!

[mashtoe]

11:39 AM on 10/03/2010

They will find low paying jobs for them. Big business wants to hold on to H-1b which keeps veterans and others out of high tech jobs. And big business wants to keep all the offshoring regulations in place so they can keep using Chinese slave labor.

Wages will keep falling in the US. They have been falling for decades. There aren't any more tricks. Both parents work now in most families. Families are up to their necks in debt. Families cannot use their houses as money machines either.
The game is over for the middle class in America. And vets are even worse off. Way to go Democrats.

[hippie4ever]

11:33 AM on 10/03/2010

Most of these Vets joined the armed services because there were NO JOBS available outside military service. How will the COC & the LD create these jobs from thin air? And isn't the COC rabidly opposed to the Stimulus & other measures as 'socialism'? I agree these Vets need jobs just like all Americans, but they've been exported overseas & flipping burgers is not a career.

[SPQR1052]

10:41 AM on 10/03/2010

In summation Veterans ought be given  unconditional support when seeing  placement ftowards gainful federal or private sector employment... Now I go send an email to White House blasting them if this is only rethoric.

[SPQR1052]

10:33 AM on 10/03/2010

As a DAV with TEN POINT PREFERENCE  I suppoprt this iniative HOWEVER it's not all rosy  in prospects. Take that for someone who knows and who also has additioanl preference BECAUSE the VA  exhausted tens of thousands of YOUR money trainning me in vocational rehab programs post secondary eductaion and exclusive private trainning programs at YOUR expense.

Ask me what I think of VRA... I dare you.

I ironically I wrote a TEN PAGE letter (which will never see the light of day) to President  OBAMA about this very topic MONTHS ago.  And I have hinted  about it  over the years here on this very blog.


the VRA  TEN POINT PREFERENCE for Veterans  is great but th elaw for federal appoint is ambitigious and if the vet has additional VOC REHAB trainning at YOUR expense he ought be appoiinted  or helped in private sector  towards "gainful employment."  This has not been the case IN FACT   I  have a TEN YEAR history advocating this very topic.  John McCain and I have a very  sorrid relationship  over this very topic. That's another reason  as a lifelong REPUBLICAN I could not vote for him as president.

1.  VRA TEN POINT PREFRENCE  is normally awarded to veterens who are hurt and disabled during service.  There is also a sub category  5 POINT PREFERENCE.

2,  VA VOC REHAB  is  typically given to  veterans  (10 pts) with  disabilities  and who are VRA eligible.

Because a veteran has 1 does not mean they also receive 2 or the other.

[Kenyatta J Yamel]

10:33 AM on 10/03/2010

it's not ideological to help the vets find work, it's the right thing to do.

[BookmanIIII]

09:44 AM on 10/03/2010

There are jobs available but if you have no money it's difficult to travel to the location that holds the job. And one reason there is no money is that the 99ers have been left behind.