Soldier for Life: The Army’s Program for Transitioning Soldiers and Their Families “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.” –General George Washington November 10th, 1781

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Soldier for Life Overview APC PENNDOT FALL SEMINAR LTC William Johnson, North East United States and European Director, Soldier for Life MSG Adam Martinez, North East United States and European Deputy Director, Soldier for Life

Soldier for Life Campaign Mission Soldier for Life connects Army, governmental, and community efforts to build relationships that facilitate successful reintegration of our Soldiers, Retired Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families in order to keep them Army Strong and instill their values, ethos, and leadership within communities.

Army Government Community Information

Employment

Endstate Soldiers, Veterans, and Families leave military service “career ready” and find an established network of enablers connecting them with the employment, education, and healthcare required to successfully reintegrate into civilian society.

Army Imperative: Sustain the Premier All-Volunteer Army Unclassified

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SFL Regions/Functions Director – COL Adam Rocke(703) 545-6855 Deputy Director – COL Matthew Schwind (703) 545-2643 SGM Billie Jo Boersma (703) 545-6857

AK

Functions Employment LTC Paone (703) 545- 2635

Central Region LTC Rob Hensley (703) 545-8666 [email protected]

[email protected]

MSG Morris: (703)-545-8689 [email protected]

MSG Martinez: (703)-545-6859 [email protected]

Northeast Region LTC William Johnson (703) 545-6872

Education LTC Ryan Raymond 703-545-2642 Retirement Services Mr. John Radke (703) 571-7230 Health LTC Paula Smith (703)-545-2658 OTSG Liaison MAJ Jacqueline Clements

(703) 545-8687 National Programs LTC Jennifer Kasker (703) 545-2647

HI

Strategic Outreach

West Region

LTC Wenceslao Angulo

LTC Derwin Brown(703) 545-9343

(703) 545-2657

[email protected]

Southeast Region LTC Steven George (703) 545-6858 [email protected]

MSG Mulligan: (703)-545-2648 [email protected]

MSG Perret: (703)-545-9344 [email protected] Unclassified

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Veteran Population Distribution 22 Million

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Current Situation Unemployment Data

Army FY UCX Comparison 600,000,000 400,000,000 200,000,000 2011

Unemployment Data 9 Month Avg (2014) 7.2 percent Gulf War-era II veterans 6.4 percent Nonveterans 5.7 percent Total veterans

Joining Forces Coalition 500,000

FY 14 Quarter

UCX

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$93.3M

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$84.7M

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75.9M

2013

Veteran Employment Center (VEC) • • •

600,000

2012

400,000

1.7+ Million Jobs 3261 Employers (+43%) 603 Employers w/Veteran Commitment (+65%) – –

300,000

226K Commitments 143K Hires

200,000

Non-Govt. Employment Resources

100,000

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0 2011 2012 2013 2014

•Hired & Trained •Veterans & Spouses

64, 000 Direct Hires (VET Recruiting) 26,000 Direct Hires (HoH) 6

Veterans Employment Center (VEC) The VEC is the Federal Government’s single authoritative internet source for connecting transitioning Service members, Veterans and their Families to meaningful career opportunities.1

1. Searchable Data Base 2. Connect directly to Veterans 3. Company jobs posted at top of search returns when tagged “VET Friendly” 4. No manual posting; pulls from NLX and company employment page

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Department of Veterans Affairs collaborating with Departments of Labor, Education, and Defense

Website: https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/employers Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWfhI-eSoWk Technical Assistance: [email protected] 7

Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS) •

A strategic Partnership between the US Army and cross section of corporations, companies, and public sector agencies led by US Army Recruiting Command

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A “win – win” for Soldiers and employers –

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How it works – – – – – –

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Allows Future and First Term Soldiers the opportunity to serve their country while also preparing for civilian employment Provides employers a steady stream of quality candidates who are disciplined, mature, potential future leaders, and well trained

Employer becomes a PaYS member Active, Guard, and Reserve Soldiers and ROTC Cadets elect to enter the PaYS program Given a list of employers who are in the PaYS program Soldier selects employer and employer provides a mentor During term of service (2-6 years) Soldier and mentor correspond using PIXs system* When service obligation is complete employer guarantees former Soldier (Veteran) an interview*

There are currently 441 PaYS partners To learn more about the program and eligibility considerations visit: https://www.armypays.com

*Reserve and National Guard Soldiers/ROTC Cadets are eligible for interview once they have completed their initial training.

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Veterans Landing Page/Affinity Group Employment Opportunities

1 Highlight Values & Mission

2 Veteran Connection to HR

3 Connect candidates to support staff

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Community Outreach

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What the group does:

Learning about the company from other Veterans

Improving the opportunities for Veterans… Educating leaders about the value they (Veterans) bring the company Mentoring & Transition support

Resources: • Institute of Veteran and Military Families • US Chamber of Commerce Hiring our Heroes • PNC Bank: 2014 DoD Freedom Award Winner 9

Hiring our Heroes Foundation (USCC) •

Some numbers: – –

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Resources for: – – –

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265,000 confirmed hires through Hiring 500,000 Heroes Commitment 780 Hiring Summits resulting in 26,000 hires since 2011 (~70-80 Summits each year beginning 2015)

Transitioning Service Member and Spouse State/Local Government Employers

Employer Roadmap: Provides employers with actionable information and resources about Veteran and Military Spouse hiring – –

Customizable: Company Size & Veteran Hiring Experience Tools • • •

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Articles Case Studies Action Plans

Phased Approach

• Prepare • Recruit • Empower Resource links: 1) http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/hiring-our-heroes & 2) http://www.employerroadmap.org/

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Apprenticeships VETERANS INITIATIVE

• Partnerships with private industry and labor unions to train transitioning soldiers for immediate high-skill job placement • DoDI 1322.29-JTEST-AI (JAN 14) Authorizes soldiers within 180 days of separation to participate in apprenticeship and on-the-job-training • The Guard Apprenticeship Program Initiative (GAPI) • Some successful pilots with UA Welding (Fort Hood), Commercial Drivers License Course (multiple locations), and Teamsters OSHA Training (expanding) 11

Resources •

Soldier for Life - www.soldierforlife.army.mil/

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Army Retirement Services - http://www.armyg1.army.mil/retire

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Soldier for Life Transition Assistance Program - www.acap.army.mil/

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Army National Guard and Army Reserve

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Department of Labor (DOL VETS) - www.dol.gov/vets/programs/

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eBenefits Employment Site – – –

Job Seekers: https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/jobs Employers: https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/employers

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Department of Veterans Affairs - www.va.gov

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National Resource Directory - www.nrd.gov

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Credentialing Opportunities Online (COOL) - https://www.cool.army.mil/

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Joint Service Transcript (JST) - https://jst.doded.mil

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Employers Support of Guard and Reserve - http://www.esgr.mil

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My Army Benefits - http://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/

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Hire Our Heroes (HoH) - http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/hiring-our-heroes

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Institute for Military Veterans and Families - http://vets.syr.edu/

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National Association of State Approving Agencies - http://www.nasaa-vetseducation.com/ National Guard Employment Network - http://www.msccn.org/NationalGuard/ Job Connection Education Program (JCEP) - http://jcep.info/

NRD.GOV

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Discussion

Unclassified

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