Hiring Our Heroes Welcomes University of Phoenix to U.S. Chamber’s Veterans Employment Advisory Council
University of Phoenix’s Contribution to Support Inclusion of Customized Employment Workshops for Transitioning Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Spouses at Job Fairs Nationwide
PHOENIX, AZ—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program welcomed University of Phoenix® as the newest member of its Veterans Employment Advisory Council (VEAC) today at a military hiring fair at the University’s Phoenix campus. The contribution from University of Phoenix will enable Hiring Our Heroes to offer intensive employment workshops tailored specifically for veterans, transitioning servicemembers, and military spouses at hundreds of hiring fairs in the coming year. The workshops will emphasize resume writing, mock interview practice, one-on-one career planning, and tools for success. In addition to contributing content to the workshop curriculum, University of Phoenix will also host 50 of the workshops at Hiring Our Heroes job fairs across the country.
“While veterans and military spouses bring an amazing set of skills to any workplace, what we’ve seen at the over 490 fairs we’ve done is that they sometimes struggle with the initial steps of the job hunt,” said Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Schmiegel (ret.), executive director of Hiring Our Heroes. “University of Phoenix’s sponsorship and input will allow us to place workshops and one-on-one trainers at nearly all of our hiring fairs. This is not only going to make a concrete difference in jobseeker preparation for our fairs, but it’s going to ensure that every veteran or spouse who signs up can walk away with the resumes and resources they need to be successful in the future.”
University of Phoenix becomes the newest member of the VEAC, which is comprised of more than 35 of America’s largest employers across all industries and sectors. The VEAC is committed to five fundamental principles:
1) Hiring veterans, transitioning servicemembers, and military spouses;
2) Sharing best practices and adopting next practices for veteran and military spouse employment;
3) Reporting measures such as job opportunities, interviews, and job placements;
4) Providing mentors to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses with the support of the Chamber’s extensive grassroots network; and
5) Enlisting the commitments of thousands of small businesses to hire veterans and increasing the number of veteran-owned small businesses across America.
“Preparing for civilian life after military service can be daunting, and we can, as a country, do more to help our servicemembers and their families,” said Associate Regional Vice President for University of Phoenix’s Military Division retired Army Col. Garland Williams. “As hundreds of thousands of service members return home from Iraq and Afghanistan and with the post-9/11 veterans’ unemployment rate at 9.2 percent, there is an urgent need for career services for transitioning active-duty servicemembers, veterans and their spouses. University of Phoenix is excited to work with Hiring Our Heroes to further provide our nation’s military access to essential career transitioning resources to help these dedicated men and women secure career opportunities after detaching from the military.”
Today’s hiring fair also marked the kickoff of 11 Start Strong events at University of Phoenix campuses across the country this spring. Each event will focus on preparing veterans for the job hunt through panel discussions by military experts and University of Phoenix alumni, workshops and career resources presented by Phoenix Career ServicesSM, and networking sessions with key industry representatives.
Since its launch in March 2011, Hiring Our Heroes has been able to help more than 100,000 veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment. More than 18,400 of those hires came directly from more than 490 hiring fairs the program has held nationwide. An additional 90,000 veterans and military spouses have been hired as a part of Hiring 500,000 Heroes, a national campaign announced by the U.S. Chamber, National Chamber Foundation and Capital One, 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 900 businesses of all sizes have pledged to hire 222,000 heroes toward this goal.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF) is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness by addressing developments that affect our nation, our economy, and the global business environment