Hiring Our Heroes was launched in March 2011 as a nationwide, grass-roots effort to help veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment. To date, Hiring Our Heroes has hosted more than 430 hiring fairs in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. More than 1,000 companies have hired from these fairs and 18,400 veterans and military spouses have obtained jobs.  

Hiring Our Heroes has also dedicated time and resources to making sure veterans and military spouses are not only connected with employment, but prepared for it. Through a partnership with GE, comprehensive employment workshops for resume-building, career networking, and interview skills are available at all of the hiring fairs starting in April 2013.

Several online programs have been developed to better address the systemic employment issues facing veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses. These include tools to help translate military service into a strong resume and a jobs portal that allows veterans and transitioning service members to search for employment opportunities in the fastest growing job markets and industries.

In addition, 2013 is being declared as the year of the military spouse. This will include the creation of a Military Spouse Employment Advisory Council (MSEAC) consisting of more than a dozen of the nation’s largest companies, 20 hiring fairs exclusively for military spouses, and the establishment of career networks for military spouses to address the unique challenges faced by military spouses in their search for meaningful employment.

For more information on the program and to get involved, please visit www.hiringourheroes.org. 

HIRING 500,000 HEROES

The Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign was launched with Capital One in March 2012 to engage the business community in committing to hire half a million veterans and military spouses by the end of 2014. Thus far, more than 800 businesses of all sizes have pledged to hire 212,000 heroes toward this goal, with 93,000 hired since March 2012. Businesses want to commit can visit www.hiring500000heroes.com 

SMALL BUSINESS TOURNAMENT OF VETERAN CHAMPIONS

On March 28, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program and Spike TV’s Hire A Veteran Campaign will launch the Small Business Tournament of Veteran Champions to find the most veteran friendly small business in America.

To be eligible, businesses must have 500 or fewer employees and an annual revenue of less than $20 million. They also must commit to hire as part of the National Chamber Foundation and Capital One’s Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign, which has a goal of engaging the business community to hire half a million veterans and military spouses by the end of 2014. Signing up is easy – just go to www.Hiring500000Heroes.com. The team at Hiring Our Heroes will work with you to help you fulfill your commitment. 

The winning business will receive a 30 second Public Service Announcement produced by and aired on Spike TV to highlight its commitment to veteran-friendly practices. The winner will also receive two tickets, roundtrip airfare, and hotel accommodations to attend the Spike TV Guys’ Choice Awards in June where their business will be recognized.

WHY HIRE VETERANS AND MILITARY SPOUSES?

Hiring a veteran isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also the smart thing. Veterans bring a discipline and skill-set to the table that is unique because of their military service. They’ve received world-class technical training and are able to lead and work in teams. They know how to act on their feet and are problem solvers. So it’s not just about bringing veterans to employers –  it’s also about educating both parties on the skills and experience veterans have to offer and showing how it transfers to civilian work.

This is an issue of national security.  We cannot expect young men and women to raise their right hands and serve in an all-volunteer force if they face higher unemployment than their peers after serving. Similarly, military spouses must endure long separations and relocations, making it difficult to fulfill their own career aspirations.

Our nation should view the imminent drawdown as an opportunity, and there is a precedent. After World War II, millions of veterans re-entered the workforce — and the massive infusion of talent helped the manufacturing sector grow and the entire U.S. economy thrive.