Preparing Today’s Veterans

BY FRANK BARRY, CHAIR

FThe Economic Opportunities Committee’s mission is to promote employment for all veterans. Preparation is vital to obtaining gainful employment. One of my favorite sayings is: “If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

I had the opportunity to attend a pilot program that the Department of Labor is promoting—a revised Transitional Assistance Program—which is designed to help returning veterans prepare for the civilian workforce. The workshops were held at Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego, which is well known for its Top Gun program made famous by the film of the same name. The majority of the attendees were due to transition in six months.

The workshops included Transition Planning, Career Path Employment, Career Exploration and Validation, Job Search Plan, Build an Effective Resume, Federal Hiring, Federal Resumes and Federal Programs, Skilled Interviewing Techniques, and Interview Post Analysis. Every attendee was able to develop a resume, prepare a budget that included an asset and liabilities evaluation, and participate in mock interviews, which I had the pleasure of conducting along with the trainer.

Each participant also received a transitioning workbook and the 2012-13 edition of The Military to Civilian Transition Guide by Carl S. Savino and Ronald L. Krannich.

On the third day there were workshops on alternate pathways available to those leaving the military: educational, vocational, or employment/entrepreneurial. On the final day a panel of employers from the San Diego area gave attendees an opportunity to ask questions and be interviewed.

I was impressed by the amount of resources available to these military men and women, including many websites on research, skills translation, job banks, civil and federal service, the Small Business Administration, college and training resources, and military recruiters and organizations.