No Limits for Wounded Veterans

Earlier this month, I had the honor of attending the Opening Ceremonies of the Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Warrior Games are an annual event in which injured, ill or disabled veterans from the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Marines, Special Operations Command and the British Armed Forces compete in Paralympics. From my time in the Army, I am fully aware of the strength of character, commitment to excellence and unbending determination of our service men and women, yet I have to say that what I saw at these games still managed to take my breath away.

I was also in royal company; I had the pleasure of meeting Prince Harry, who is a passionate young man with deep respect for military men and women from his time serving in Afghanistan – even if he was cheering for the wrong squad vying for the coveted Chairman’s Cup. The Marines successfully defended their title and took this year’s cup.

Keith Kelly, assistant secretary of labor for veterans’ employment and training, meets Pfc. Artem Lazukin of Portland, Ore., at the Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 13, 2013.

But the final medal count is far from the true measure of these games’ significance. I witnessed the kind of skill, speed and teamwork that demonstrates the true spirit of military excellence and camaraderie. More than 200 wounded warriors tested their physical limits and performed astonishing feats in events like basketball, swimming, track and field, archery and volleyball. What these courageous individuals achieved was every bit as amazing as the accomplishments of athletes without disabilities, and I will remember the exhilaration, the drama – and most of all, the smiles – I experienced there for a long time.

The games also reinforced one of the core beliefs that drive our work at the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service: for our veterans, there is no “impossible.” There is no limit to what we are capable of, even when we are forced to overcome tremendous obstacles to succeed. That’s true on both the athletic field and in the workplace. It is part of our job at the Labor Department to help show employers just how much veterans can contribute to the success of their companies. I wish I could send them all to see what I saw in Colorado Springs: focused, driven willpower to overcome challenges and get the job done.

I am proud to work for an agency that is leading the charge to provide employment services to veterans and reduce unemployment. For wounded and disabled veterans, we offer expanded career services in our network of nearly 2,700 American Jobs Centers across the country. We also provide workers and employers with resources for accommodating wounded veterans in our America’s Heroes at Work Toolkit. We are stepping up to help every veteran looking for work find a good job, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because our businesses and our economy will benefit from the leadership and resolve that veterans bring to the workplace.

The only thing that stops us is the finish line.

Keith Kelly is the assistant secretary of labor for veterans’ employment and training.

This information is intended to be educational and should not be considered legal advice on any specific matter.

U.S. Chamber’s Hiring Our Heroes Joins with Leading Media and Entertainment Companies on Job Search Tool for Veterans

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program, in conjunction with the Got Your 6 entertainment campaign, today unveiled a free online job search tool for veterans specific to the entertainment and media industries, the next phase in the development of its Fast Track program. The new industry track is designed to be a one-stop shop for veterans searching for careers in media or entertainment. The announcement came as part of the kickoff of Got Your 6 Veterans Hiring Week, an effort by the entertainment community to raise national awareness of the value in hiring America’s heroes.

“This is a critical next step in the evolution of our Fast Track program as we strive to better inform veterans and transitioning servicemembers about the cities and industries that are demonstrating job growth,” said Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Schmiegel (ret.), executive director of Hiring Our Heroes. “Many of the most recognizable names in Hollywood have stepped up to show their commitment to hiring the men and women who have served our country. This will allow veterans to get A-to-Z guidance on how to find and secure jobs within the entertainment and media industries, and best of all, it’s free for both employers and veterans.”

Participating companies in the entertainment and media track include CBS, Creative Artists Agency, DreamWorks Animation, Fox, Imageworks, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and The Walt Disney Company. With the help of national technology leader ConnectEDU, it is the first of 11 industry-specific tracks Hiring Our Heroes will be developing.

“As an Army veteran, I am proud to support the U.S. Chamber’s Hiring Our Heroes Fast Track program,” said Chris Marvin, Managing Director, Got Your 6. “This first-of-its-kind online job search tool will bring together qualified and highly-trained veterans with a variety of opportunities at world class entertainment companies.”

Fast Track integrates the Veterans Job Bank of the federal government’s National Resource Directory into a geographic representation highlighting the 100 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) with fastest growing job markets. Each track educates veterans on a particular industry and shows them the critical paths to employment in that industry. Employers have the ability to post to the Veterans Job Bank, review potential candidates, and list job requirements.

Hiring Our Heroes launched in March 2011 as a nationwide initiative to help veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment. Working with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s network of 1600 state and local chambers and other strategic partners from the public, private, and non-profit sectors, the goal is to create a movement across America in hundreds of communities where veterans and military families return every day. To date, Hiring Our Heroes has hosted more than 440 hiring fairs in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. More than 18,400 veterans and military spouses have obtained jobs.

Columbia. More than 18,400 veterans and military spouses have obtained jobs.
Got Your 6 is a campaign designed to change the conversation in America such that veterans and military families are seen as civic assets and leaders who will reinvigorate our community. The campaign combines the reach and resources of the top American entertainment studios, networks, guilds and agencies with the expertise and commitment of more than two dozen non-profit organizations. Got Your 6 also enjoys the support of organizations such as Goodwill Industries. Through an extensive media footprint and a set of substantial service commitments, Got Your 6 will ensure successful reintegration of veterans into civilian life. For more information, visit www.gotyour6.org. Be the Change, Inc., an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, is the organizing body and fiscal agent for Got Your 6.

Source: U. S. Chamber of Commerce

This information is intended to be educational and should not be considered legal advice on any specific matter.

Miami-Dade Veterans Job Fair

On February 21, 2013, the Miami-Dade OFCCP and the S.E. Regional Representative for the Secretary of Labor will be holding a Veterans Job Fair to promote employment opportunity for veterans.  This will be an opportunity for contractors with job openings to speak with veterans who are pre-screened for their potential to fit the particular job opening. 

Date: February 21, 2013
Time: 9 AM - 3 PM
Location: Miami Dade College's Kendall Campus, Academic Support Center
Building R -- 4th Floor -- Conference Room 402
11011 SW 104th St., Miami, Florida 33176

All businesses with job openings and Veterans seeking employment are invited. Workshops will be conducted for employers and job seekers and display tables will be provided to participating employers. This will be an opportunity for contractors with job openings to meet veterans who are pre-screen for the qualifications of the company's job openings.

To participate, businesses should RSVP to Millie Herrera at herrera.m.millie@dol.gov or 305-271-0532.

Click here for a flyer regarding this event.

Source: SFILG

This information is intended to be educational and should not be considered legal advice on any specific matter.

National Resource Directory's Veterans Job Bank Widget

Sources: DOL Newsletter and the National Resource Directory The National Resource Directory's (NRD) Veterans Job Bank provides Veterans with a central source for identifying Veteran-committed employment opportunities and assists employers in identifying qualified Veterans. The latest tool developed by the NRD is a search widget that can be added to any website. Using a Google Custom Search Engine that "crawls" the internet and includes those pages that contain the Veterans Job Bank HTML schema in the search results, this widget helps to streamline the job search process for veterans. Organizations that have a careers page can tag Veteran-committed job opportunities; the search engine will identify and return these tagged jobs to veterans as they perform a search on the Veterans Job Bank. Job opportunities listed on sites such as Monster, LinkedIn or SimplyHired, can also be tagged. The Veterans Job Bank Search Widget is maintenance free and automatically updates as jobs are posted by employers. Employers who would like to participate in the Veterans Job Bank initiative can visit the NRD's Instructions for Employer Participation. (It is currently in BETA status but provides a free job posting resource that, specifically, targets veterans). For more Veteran Resources, please visit our website. For information on our Affirmative Action Services, please call (800) 330-9000, or click here to schedule a convenient time to receive a call from a member of our Sales Team. This information is intended to be educational and should not be considered legal advice on any specific matter.