From Congressman Jeff Miller
In the film Larry Crowne, a 50-something Navy veteran is laid off from his job at a megastore because he can’t compete against college-educated workers. Played by Tom Hanks, Crowne enrolls in college to learn new skills in order to be competitive in the 21st-century workforce.
Unfortunately, this isn’t just Hollywood storytelling; it is a depiction of the economic environment our veterans face. We celebrated our independence last weekend and then returned to work as usual. But nearly 14 million Americans did not. Among them are nearly 1 million unemployed veterans, men and women who preserved the right for the rest of us to celebrate our nation’s 235th birthday.
Like Larry Crowne, two-thirds of unemployed veterans are between the ages of 35 and 64, and many face skills and training deficits. The remaining third are younger than 35; some were as young as ten on 9/11, and forfeited safety and education knowing they would likely serve in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Veterans have the leadership, integrity, and ingenuity employers often seek. Yet, there is a disconnect between employers and veterans in translating the experiences that hail from the battlefield to work on Main Street USA. In some cases, it is the basics, such as résumé writing, a skill not taught at boot camp. In others, it is the inability to compete in the global marketplace.
Over the next two years, we will see an influx of active-duty military members transitioning to veteran status as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down. We must ensure that America’s veterans have the education and skills to find employment as they return home.
We have already set in place the building blocks for many of today’s veterans. Through the Post-9/11 GI Bill, eligible veterans are getting college degrees, enrolling in on-the-job training programs, and training in specialized fields such as aviation in higher numbers than ever before. Read more.
To learn more about the Veteran Opportunity to Work Act of 2011 (VOW), please visit: Veterans.House.Gov/Jobs
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