Northern Virginia Technology Council's Veterans Employment Initiative Supports America's Veterans by Providing Better Employment Opportunities

Initiative provides tools and resources to match military veterans with jobs, internships, mentorships and certifications

HERNDON, Va., Nov. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This Veterans Day, the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), the largest technology council in the nation, announces its continued support of military veterans through the NVTC Veterans Employment Initiative's efforts to connect veterans to employment opportunities within Virginia's technology community.

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The Initiative matches veterans with jobs, internships, mentorships and certifications, while also providing support to member companies in their efforts to hire, train and retain qualified veteran employees. The Initiative was launched at ICF International in Fairfax on August 20, 2013 and included the support of Gov. Bob McDonnell and Sen. Mark Warner, and is being driven by the Northern Virginia business and technology community, in conjunction with the region's academic institutions and policymakers.

"Veterans Day is an occasion to honor America's veterans for their patriotism and service to our country. As business leaders in our region's thriving technology community, we believe a greater opportunity to support and thank our nation's veterans is through employment in the civilian careers that utilize their tremendous skills and experience," said Initiative Co-Chair David Lucien of DCL Associates.

Through the NVTC online veterans community and job board, a main feature of the Initiative, Monster and Military.com provide tools designed to assist service members' transition into the civilian workforce. Veterans can use the military skills translator to match their skills to civilian jobs, access a searchable database of jobs at NVTC member companies and tap into educational resources to help them develop skills to thrive in a private sector career. Currently, more than 130 companies have jobs posted on the website for a total of more than 5,000 jobs since the site's launch. In addition, NVTC members can access a resume database of over 800,000 veterans, state of the art search tools to find the right potential employee and other tools to post and manage job openings.

"Hundreds of NVTC members have signed on to the Initiative because they recognize that veterans have tremendously valuable skills and experience, such as leadership, teamwork, self-discipline, problem-solving, quick-thinking and experience working in a mission-focused environment. These qualities are highly prized in the private sector, and our members understand that a workforce with these outstanding qualities can be an incredible competitive advantage in the marketplace," said Initiative Co-Chair Steve Cooker, executive vice president of Global Government Solutions for Monster Worldwide.

In addition to the online community, NVTC is hosting a training event on November 25 to help area companies learn how to recruit, onboard, train and retain America's veterans, transitioning military and serving National Guard and Reservists. And on December 3, the organization is partnering with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services to host a recruiting event to match companies with qualified veteran, National Guard and Reserve job-seekers.

NVTC is also partnering with the region's colleges and universities to address the skills gap faced by many veterans as they leave military service and to match veteran training and certification to the workforce needs of Virginia's technology sector. In addition, NVTC is collaborating with state and federal policymakers to expedite legislative and/or regulatory action that enhances companies' ability to hire and train veterans on any federal contract.

In addition to its member companies and academic institutions, NVTC is working with several partner organizations, including the Alexandria/Arlington Workforce Investment Board, the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region, the America Veterans Center, the Army Women's Foundation, Easter Seals Serving DC/MD/VA, Final Salute, the Northern Virginia Urban League, the Professional Services Council, The SkillSource Group, and the Veteran Staffing Network. These organizations are helping to promote the initiative to the veteran community, as well as advising NVTC on issues related to veterans' transition into the civilian workforce.

For more information about the NVTC Veterans Employment Initiative, visit www.nvtc.org/veterans. Or visit the veteran online community and resource at www.nvtc.monster.com.

The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) is the membership and trade association for the technology community in Northern Virginia. As the largest technology council in the nation, NVTC serves about 1,000 companies and organizations, including businesses from all sectors of the technology industry, service providers, universities, foreign embassies, non-profit organizations and government agencies. Through its member companies, NVTC represents about 300,000 employees in the region. NVTC is recognized as the nation's leader in providing its technology community with networking and educational events; specialized services and benefits; public policy advocacy; branding of its region as a major global technology center; initiatives in targeted business sectors and in the international, entrepreneurship, workforce and education arenas; the Equal Footing Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that serves local area youth; and The Entrepreneur Center @NVTC, which mentors new technology entrepreneurs. Visit NVTC at www.nvtc.org .

SOURCE Northern Virginia Technology Council