Military Hiring Campaign Provides Free Hands-on Help for Employers, Candidates

WASHINGTON, HOUSTON and ATLANTA, March 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Jobs for America's Heroes announced this month that 1,000 employers across America have signed up to seek and hire well-trained Guard members, veterans and spouses through a nonprofit ongoing campaign to help connect employers and military. (www.CenterforAmerica.org/register.html)

Many small to midsize employers who want to hire Guard members and veterans do not have the resources to quickly and efficiently identify military candidates when they have jobs to fill. The American Jobs for America's Heroes campaign is addressing this problem by providing job postings from more than 1,000 participating employers directly to hundreds of uniformed military employment counselors who are actively matching Guard and veteran candidates with civilian jobs. All services to employers and candidates are free.

"Employers need to fill openings quickly. By the time Guard members and vets find the openings posted on job boards, employers may have already filled the job. By immediately getting the postings to counselors in the Guard and other military branches, who then match the posting to the hundreds of candidates each is working with, we can improve opportunities for veterans to be considered," said Steve Nowlan, AJAH campaign director and president of Center for America (CFA), the non-profit group that organized the campaign.

The American Jobs for America's Heroes (AJAH) campaign is a non-profit alliance of CFA, the Army National Guard and two additional non-profit organizations supporting the military, Corporate America Supports You (CASY) and Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN).  More than 150 trade associations and professional societies, including 28 state chambers of commerce, are supporting the campaign through regular publicity to their members.  Some are hosting an AJAH webinar aimed at achieving success in hiring Guard members and other veterans.

"We're thrilled to have more than 1,000 employers in the campaign, which is good evidence that this expedited, hands-on approach has value for companies that often need and want help in their recruiting efforts," said Erin Voirol, MSCCN Executive Director.  "Our ability to instantly distribute job postings directly to uniformed employment counselors enables them to focus one-on-one on matching candidates and helping them apply for jobs."

AJAH was launched two years ago at the request of the Army National Guard (ARNG) headquarters in Washington, D.C.  ARNG unemployment in state commands ranges up to 15%.  AJAH is a voluntary private sector component of the ARNG employment initiative and supports employment counselors and veterans in all other military branches.

"Phillips 66 is guided by our values of safety, honor, and commitment and we're proud to play a part in helping the men and women who have served our country," said Larry Ziemba, Phillips 66 Executive Vice President Refining. "As the lead corporate sponsor of the American Jobs for American Heroes campaign, we are excited that the program has reached this milestone. As more companies join this cause, AJAH is enabled to reach more individuals and match them with opportunities for quality jobs after returning to the private sector."

"AJAH is helping smaller businesses that may not have dedicated HR people and who may not have hired Guard members or vets before.  In fact, about 70% of the employers in the campaign don't have an organized military hiring campaign," said Stacy Bayton, Chief Operating Officer of CASY.  "We can help these employers modify their postings to be more relevant to veterans, plus explain how a candidate's experience and training relates to the job requirements.  Often this clarification makes the difference in whether an employer makes an offer.  It is exciting to all of us on the campaign to help employers succeed with this and our services are free to participating employers." 

The National Guard trains in 107 occupational specialties, making the men and women of the National Guard, like their veteran counterparts, among the most highly qualified employment candidates in America.  Tens of thousands of Guard and veterans are now seeking employment and, according to the Department of Defense, and more than 100,000 soldiers will be downsized from the services in the next few years.

"Tens of thousands of Guard members and veterans are no longer receiving unemployment benefits," said Nowlan.  "This heightens the need and opportunity for employers seeking a disciplined workforce to connect with Guard members and veterans who can become reliable and results-oriented assets for growing companies.  The government has invested tens of millions of dollars in training, leadership qualities and team values.  Employers can benefit from this investment while helping military families build a sound economic future.  The AJAH campaign exists to help employers succeed in doing this."

Employers who want to post open positions can sign up through the Center for America website at: www.CenterforAmerica.org/register.html   All services are free.

www.CenterforAmerica.org 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/USJobs4USHeroes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanJobsforAmericasHeroes
Blog: http://americanjobsforamericasheroes.blogspot.com/

About The Center for America
The Center for America (www.centerforamerica.org) is a non-profit organization founded in 2004 that focuses its national efforts on educating and empowering the public about barriers to free enterprise, the need for expanded skills training and job creation, and the impact of lawsuit abuse on reducing job creation.

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SOURCE American Jobs for America's Heroes