A new job assistance website has been established to help coordinate professionals in the career services industry in an effort to provide services for returning military personnel looking for jobs outside the military.
Jobless Warriors, www.joblesswarriors.org is working to recruit volunteers in career services to assist in reducing the unemployment rate of our returning military members. While the unemployment rate nationally is hovering around 9% (probably closer to 11% if including underemployed or those that no longer are on unemployment benefits), the unemployment rate of young military service members leaving after serving their four years is up around 21%.
Over the next few months Jobless Warriors will be accumulating a list of volunteer career service professionals that will provide job search service to tackle the growing demand on governmental organizations. Career service professionals will provide some services for free and others at a discounted rate for those military service members that show valid identification.
Exiting service members all over the United States will be able to contact Jobless Warriors for a list of career service professionals in their areas to find out what kinds of services will be provided. Keep in mind that some career professionals can work with anyone, anywhere and are not restricted by location.
Las Vegas has a large military community due to the presence of Nellis AFB and Creech AFB, as well as retired military. With the higher than national unemployment rate of around 13%, Las Vegas is a difficult place to find a job already, so returning military personnel could use all the help they can get.
Morse Transition Consulting, a local Las Vegas Career Development Professional, has already volunteered and will begin offer services under this program right away. They can be contacted at www.morsetransition.com.
In addition to job search assistance, another way we can assist our military members is to hire them. Employers have been provided incentives, up to $4000 in the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, from the federal government to hire former military personnel. There are restrictions of course, but it certainly can help employers and put a hard working, proven individual back to work. For more information on these incentives can be found at www.usvetsinc.org.
There are many individuals struggling with unemployment across the United States and one thing our federal government has had a long history of doing is providing services for them. Remember, your local One-Stop Center is a great place to start looking for professionals ready to assist you with job search, retraining resources and information.
