Veteran I.T. Training and Career Placement Program from NS2 Serves Calls for Final Applications; Deadline July 25, 2014

ROCKVILLE, Md., July 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With less than one week left to apply, a Maryland-based nonprofit is taking final applications for veterans to join a world-class technology training and employment program this fall. There's considerable competition for the 20 training slots for the 11-week course that begins at the Bolger Center in Potomac, Maryland, on September 8 and runs through November 21. Applications are due by close of business on Friday, July 25.      

The training program is offered by NS2 Serves (www.NS2Serves.org), an independent nonprofit launched by SAP National Security Services, Inc.™ (SAP NS2™) to address veterans unemployment and give back to the community it serves. Full-time, paid participants are trained in SAP software solutions that support U.S. national security missions. Graduates earn "Certified SAP Associate" status – a globally recognized certification that is highly valuable in many career paths. Trainees also receive guidance from business mentors and placement assistance to work in the U.S. national security field.   

The course is open to U.S. military service veterans, including disabled veterans and Gold Star spouses. Travel, room, and board are provided. Additional details about eligibility, the training program, and instructions on how to apply can be found at www.NS2Serves.org. 

Vice Admiral Joe Kernan, U.S. Navy, Retired, a 30-year veteran of the Navy SEAL team, and Chairman of the NS2 Serves Board of Directors, said, "Our first course offering in the spring of 2014 was extremely successful, producing 17 well-trained veterans who are on the path to new careers. We've received hundreds of applications for our second class, and look forward to training these highly talented men and women and helping them start new careers."

Of the spring 2014 program graduates, 15 of the 17 in the class have already secured positions at leading companies and government agencies including CSC, Accenture Federal, SAP National Security Services, SAP America, SRA International, and HCL Technologies, and U.S. Department of Agriculture. The remaining two graduates are considering several employment options.

Mark Testoni, President of NS2 Serves, chief executive of SAP NS2, and a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, had the original vision for the program, drawing upon his concern for unemployed vets and his knowledge of SAP solutions for government, industry, and national security. "We have two trends that converge," he said. "First, there is a need for more professionals in national security and intelligence. Second, you have high unemployment among veterans who have recently separated from military service, and a growing number coming home. With this program, we identified a way to address both issues and give back to the community we serve."

NS2 Serves is also a premier sponsor of the Defense One event on the future of veterans, The New Battleground: Veterans, on July 30 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. During lunch, CNN's Soledad O'Brien will offer an early preview of her new program, "The War Comes Home." Kernan and Testoni will join Members of Congress, noted journalists, and several other subject area experts at this important event. Additional speakers and keynotes will be announced soon. The event is free; click here to register. 

SOURCE NS2 Serves