Blog post

Ahead of Jobs Report, IAVA Applauds President Obama’s New Veterans' Employment Initiative
Posted by Isabel Black on August 5

Today, IAVA applauded President Obama’s proposal to tackle high rates of new veteran unemployment.  Through the initiative, the President will issue a call to action for the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Labor, as well as businesses nationwide to provide skills and training for new veterans transitioning from military service. He will also propose tax credits to encourage employers to locate and hire veterans for the civilian workforce. IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff will attend the launch at the Washington Navy Yard along with IAVA Member Veterans Maria Canales, Nick Colgin and local Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who will join President Obama on stage.

“IAVA is extremely encouraged to see the President stepping up to support new veterans. With over a quarter million Iraq and Afghanistan veterans jobless in June, this is the exact kind of attention our community needs. For months, IAVA has been calling on both the White House and Congressional leaders to make veteran unemployment a top priority in the national dialogue. This initiative is a solid step in the right direction. It will bring critical attention and resources in the fight to lower the 13.3 percent new veteran unemployment rate in June,” said IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff.

“Through the President’s leadership, this initiative will bring together the smartest minds in government and business to create sustainable jobs and hiring practices for veterans. There is no silver-bullet solution for veteran unemployment, but IAVA is pleased to see the President sending a clear message to the nation: if you want to support veterans, hire them. IAVA looks forward to working with the President, First Lady, administration officials and private companies to ensure this initiative immediately benefits thousands of new veterans and their families who have sacrificed for our country.”

At the event, IAVA Member Veterans Maria Canales and Nick Colgin will share their stories about transitioning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with the President and administration officials.

Maria Canales served as a Financial Specialist in the U.S. Army where she provided financial support to her unit at Camp Anaconda in Balad, Iraq during a one-year tour. She also holds a degree in Business Management and is currently pursuing her MBA. Despite her education and extensive experience in the financial sector, she has not been able to find a steady job working in accounting or finance. She is a native of Brooklyn, New York.

Nick Colgin served as a combat medic for Bravo Company in the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan. During his tour, he took part in over 700 combat patrols and received the Bronze Star for saving the life of a French soldier who had been shot in the head. When he returned from his tour, however, he faced employers who said he lacked credentials to be a First Responder in the civilian medical field. After a long employment search, he is earning his B.S. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He is a native of Chesterfield, VA.

Combating veteran unemployment is IAVA’s top policy priority for 2011. In March, the organization launched an innovative yearlong Combat to Career campaign during the annual Storm the Hill trip to Washington, D.C. with the goal of lowering the new veteran unemployment rate by Veterans Day (11/11/11). Through the campaign, IAVA is focused on bringing together the public and private sectors to pass comprehensive veterans jobs legislation and find unique ways to employ this generation of veterans. From Capitol Hill to the White House, IAVA Member Veterans have shared their employment challenges with the First Lady, Administration officials and hundreds of leaders throughout Congress.

In Washington, IAVA is calling on Congress to pass the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011 and the Veterans Opportunity Work (VOW) Act to incentivize hiring of veterans, strengthen job protections and create new programs aimed at improving their transition from combat to career. Meanwhile, in the private sector, the campaign brings together corporate partners including Microsoft, Google, JCPenney, Citi and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to host job fairs, career skills workshops and hiring initiatives for new veterans.  For a complete list of our partners and to learn more about the Combat to Career campaign, please visit IAVA.org/combat2career.