NC Veterans Transitions Roundtable May 7, 2014 NC National Guard Joint Headquarters 1636 Gold Star Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607

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Meeting attendees: Julie Ammons, CCE/Sanford Human Resources Manager, Catepillar; Archie Barrow, LVER Deputy Director, NC Commerce - Workforce Solutions; Ann Marie Beall, Director of Military Education, UNC; Mike Belki, Vice President, Human Resources, BAE Systems (USA); Will Collins, Executive Director, NCWorks; Evon Digregorio, NC Director, USDOL/VETS; Lane Dyer, Director of Employment Services, NC Commerce Workforce Solutions; Tom Gill, Transition Advisor Supervisor, Marine & Family Programs - MCCS Camp Lejeune; ; Jason Gunnorson, Transition Manager, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base; Bob Judd, Vice President, Undersea Warfare, Ultra Electronics 3 Phoenix; Major Bobby Lumsden, Military Affairs, Office of the Governor;Tony Marshall, President and CEO, Innovative Systems Group; Lieutenant General Gary McKissock, Veterans Lead, NC Military Affairs Commission; Stephen Miller, Talent Acquisition Manager, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc.; llario Pantano, Assistant Secretary, NC Division of Veteran Affairs; Sheila Pierce, Executive Director, Jacksonville Onslow Economic Development; Karl Portner, Senior Software Development Engineer, MetLife; Travis Powell, Senior Project Lead, MetLife; Jennifer Raymaker, Outreach Coordinator, NC Military Foundation; Darlene Rosario, Transition Manager, Airman & Family Readiness Center - Seymour Johnson; Stuart Ruffin, Deputy Director, NC Military Foundation; Colonel Vernon Simpson, Director of Personnel, NC National Guard; Jane Sterner, One-Stop System Manager, Capital Area Workforce Development Board; Pat Sturdivant, Executive Director, Capital Area Workforce Development Board; Sharon Taybron, Executive Assistant, Capital Area Workforce Development Board; Michelle Valle, Recruiter, Time Warner Cable; Lydia Walton, Human Resources Manager, The Hales Group; Brenda Wilkerson, Business Services Manager, Capital Area Workforce Development Board; Major General Cornell Wilson, Jr., Military Affairs Advisor, Office of the Governor.

Welcoming Remarks

Pat Sturdivant, Executive Director, Capital Area Workforce Development Board (CAWDB) Mrs. Sturdivant gave the opening and welcoming remarks. She presented attendees with background information about CAWDB and thanked the NC Military Foundation for partnering with CAWDB on this event. Mrs. Sturdivant also recognized Colonel Clifford Wilkins, Colonel Vernon Simpson, and Col (ret) Tom Bowlin for hosting us in the NC National Guard's command conference room, as well as Lieutenant General (Retired) Gary McKissock for his efforts to transition veterans into civilian employment through his role on the NC Military Affairs Commission. She also thanked Stuart Ruffin, Deputy Director, NC Military Foundation and Jane Sterner, One-Stop System Manager for organizing the event.

Framing the Situation

Stuart Ruffin, Deputy Director, NC Military Foundation Mr. Ruffin began by framing the challenge that North Carolina faces in transitioning servicemembers into civilian employment. North Carolina will see over 20,000 NC servicemembers transition out of the military annually over the next three years; up from an average of 8,000 annual transitions over the previous five years. Despite their significant soft and technical skills, veterans show significantly higher unemployment rates than their nonveteran counterparts. The vast majority of these transitioning servicemembers are under 30 years old; the most unemployed segment of the labor force nationwide. Our goals in addressing this issue are (1) to close the gap between veteran and non-veteran hiring, and (2) to fill North Carolina's job openings with a qualified workforce. In support of those goals, the objectives of this Roundtable are threefold: 1. to acknowledge that there is no seamless operational path from military departure to civilian employment, 2. to understand the three silos that exist in the transition process, I. Supply Side: Active, Guard, and Reserve forces transitioning out of the military II. Middlemen (“Transition Enablers”): Public and private organizations offering matching, training, and/or education services. III. Demand Side: Employers and human resources professionals 3. to produce practical steps that key stakeholders can take to connect the silos and create a smooth and functioning transition system.

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While all three key stakeholder groups in the transition process have undertaken initiatives to improve veteran hiring, they have struggled to effectively tailor these initiatives to facilitate smooth movement from one stakeholder group to the next. It is for this reason that they are referred to as "silos." Experience confirms that the most successful transition programs are those that combine the efforts of the silos and enable transitioning servicemembers to walk out of the gate ready to take command of their transition into civilian employment.

Presentations from Stakeholder Groups Military Perspective, Tom Gill, Transition Advisor Supervisor, Marine & Family Programs-MCCS Camp Lejeune Mr. Gill opened his presentation by sharing a veteran hiring 'case study' on Davita Dialysis, a Fortune 300 healthcare company that hired 89 veterans and saw 90% retention rates in the first two years of its veteran hiring effort. Camp Lejeune is committed to facilitating similarly successful transitions into the civilian workforce and has implemented a number of promising initiatives to improve veteran transitions. These include: • Hosting visits by companies & universities that are looking to hire and/or train veterans • Leveraging relationships with economic development organizations to locate businesses with open positions • Establishing the NC Joint Force Consortium, which brings together all local military transition chiefs to discuss best practices • Providing each transitioning Marine with the individual advising that he/she needs to take command of his/her transition Key challenges the military's transition efforts face are: • low employer awareness of servicemembers' value and skills • inadequate job board/case management systems • difficulties in finding enough jobs to keep this talented workforce in NC Speaking more broadly, Mr. Gill sees four things as essential to successful veteran hiring. • Educating Companies on the value of having veterans in their workforce • Having champions for veteran hiring within companies • Linking military and industry jobs boards • Making case management capabilities more effective He also added that he is available to assist with training, job fairs and case managers as they help link service members with jobs. Transition Enabler Perspective, Will Collins, Executive Director, NC Works Mr. Collins opened by introducing his new roles with NC Works and the NC Community Colleges. The NC Department of Commerce's Division of Workforce Solutions (DWS) has 117 Workforce Offices across the state that serve as initial points of entry for DWS employment services and 96 DWS employees that specialize in helping veterans overcome barriers to employment (see www.nccommerce.com/workforce). NC Works Online (www.ncworks.gov) is the state's free "one stop shop" for workforce resources and information. This website offers detailed labor market information, career tools designed to locate appropriate jobs based on Military Occupational Specialties, and a searchable database of available jobs and job seekers. Employers and transitioning servicemembers should register online to take advantage of this service. Key challenges that transition enablers face in their efforts include: • Effectively marketing the resources and services provided by NC Works • Designing a single point of entry to access services • Ensuring and maximizing the effectiveness of services rendered 3.

Industry Perspective, Mike Belki, Vice President-Human Resources, Enterprise Shared Services, BAE Systems Mr. Belki opened by sharing information about BAE Systems and what they have done to increase their veteran workforce. Some of BAE's most promising veteran hiring initiatives include: • having dedicated military liaisons within its Talent Acquisition department • working with state & federal employment representatives to place veterans within the company • utilizing online tools including resume databases and military skills translation services to locate veterans with appropriate skill sets • Participating in military-focused job fairs and other programs focused on veteran hiring BAE has also implemented an impressive Warrior Integration Project, which hires wounded warriors ages 22-26 and rotates these veterans through several job opportunities before landing a permanent position that fits with their skills and career aspirations. Thanks to these efforts and others, BAE has hired over 2,000 veterans since 2011 and has earned numerous veteran hiring awards from public & private organizations. Key challenges identified by Mr. Belki in his effort to hire veterans include: • Educating hiring managers and recruiters in military skills transition and resume interpretation - so they can find veterans with the appropriate skill set for open positions. • Finding the right job to keep the veteran stimulated (while in the military, servicemembers typically transfer every 3 – 5 years and are used to a change of scenery & pace). o Job movement within the company helps to alleviate this challenge • Many veterans want to settle in areas that the company does not have operations.

Discussion and Next Steps The group unanimously agreed that there is no single website, company, or government agency that can solve this veteran hiring issue alone. Instead, leaders from the military, industry, and enabler communities must work together to create the strong partnerships required to produce sustainable veteran hiring solutions. Engagement across the silos was identified as the number one priority for improving the transition process. Veteran hiring advocates should seek to educate company leaders on the value of hiring a veteran workforce. Advocates must also ensure that human resources managers and recruiters know how to find and assess veteran job seekers. This can be done most effectively by engaging human resources associations, such as SHRMA, and creating partnerships that help them to understand how military skills translate into the civilian economy. All participants agreed that military servicemembers bring significant soft skills to the table, including dependability and leadership. However, these are often not enough meet the skill requirements for a particular job. It is imperative that transition enablers work with employers to develop targeted training programs that give veterans the additional skills & credentials that they need to find meaningful employment. Examples of this include apprenticeships tailored to meet company needs and certification courses offered through NC's Workforce Offices, universities, community colleges, and other transition enablers. Training veterans to conduct an effective job search is also essential to a successful transition. NCWorks Career Centers are available to help assist veterans to update their resumes and complete employment applications. Center staff can also assist in providing guidance on career choices, as well as training and advice on interviewing and job search techniques. All participants agreed on the need for a single "one stop" job database that all three silos can effectively utilize. It was observed the NC Works (www.ncworks.gov) can provide that for our state. Employers and transitioning servicemembers should register to take advantage of this service. 4.

Key Meeting “Take Aways” Stuart Ruffin wrapped up the discussion and identified key action items that everyone could do to keep the momentum going. Key points include: 1. Focus efforts on facilitating cooperation between the 3 Silos (military, transition enablers, industry) a. Shape training & education services to meet specific industry needs b. Bring industry and transition enablers to military bases to connect with transitioning servicemembers c. Engage with Human Resources Associations to educate "hirers" on how to locate and accurately assess veteran resumes d. Encourage servicemembers to register at www.ncworks.gov 2. Identify and pursue ways to effectively market available resources to employers and veterans 3. Encourage industry to establish internal advocates for veteran hiring 4. Train veterans to conduct an effective job search and interview successfully 5. Utilize NC Works Online as North Carolina's web-based "One Stop" 6. Convert military language and terminology on resumes to the skills identified by employers

Closing Remarks Pat Sturdivant gave closing remarks. She thanked the NC Military Foundation for their partnership on this event and emphasized that the end of this Roundtable was not the end of the conversation. She reiterated the need to communicate with organizations to get the message out and that Veterans can use NCWorks Career Centers to make sure resumes are speaking the right language. She encouraged everyone to keep the conversation open and thanked everyone for attending.

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