2012 House Committee on Veteran's Affairs Hearing: Lowering the Rate of Unemployment for the National Guard

One of the major issues we face at American Jobs for America's Heroes is the discouraging problem of employers being hesitant to hire members of the National Guard for fear that they will have to deploy again, leaving them short-staffed.

Some call it discrimination.  Others call joining the National Guard a career killer.

A little over a year ago the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held a hearing on this very issue called "Lowering the Rate of Unemployment for the National Guard."

In his opening statement, Hon. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), then the chairman of the subcommittee said, "As the owner of a small business, I understand the pressures on employers that the loss of a critical employee creates.  But in the end, the question I always ask is, who is making the greater sacrifice, the employer or the service member who is literally going in harm’s way and that member’s family who must cope with all the stresses of a deployment?"

Hon. Bruce Brayle (D-IA), then the subcommittee's ranking member, echoed the same sentiment in his opening statement saying, "It is our responsibility to create a culture where all American businesses recognize the important service of their employees who have answered the call to duty. Employers are vital to empowering employees who are members of the National Guard and Reserves.  We want all of our veterans to succeed and we want their employers to do well also."

Catch up on this important issue and hear input from employers and veterans by watching the archived webcast of the hearing here.

Then register on the Center for America website to hire the many heroes who are searching for jobs.

Horrific Boston Marathon Explosions - National Guard Ready to Respond

There were more than 400 members of the Massachusetts National Guard on hand for the Boston marathon on Monday, tasked with helping to keep the route clear for the 27,000 runners who registered to race the 26.2-mile course from Hopkinton, MA to Boston.

One article published before the race quoted Pfc. Matthew S. Knowlton, a military policeman assigned to a spot at the starting line.  Knowlton said, “This is a very positive setting, I’m just happy to be here. There are a lot of people here but it’s a great crowd.”

But, as we all know by now, a day that began like the many previous ones in which the Guard has been called upon to assist local law enforcement at the race took a decidedly different and unbelievably tragic turn.

National Guard: Always Ready
Photo from MSN

Video from the scene posted on the National Guard website and broadcast on countless media outlets shows Guard members among the first responders, rushing toward the injured by tearing down the barricades they were protecting just moments before.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick highlighted the work of the Guard when he explained in a press conference that the Guard was securing the scene and limiting access to it.  He has noted that their work will be ongoing for the next few days.

In addition, President Obama heralded the Guard's assistance when he said, "Boston police, firefighters, and first responders as well as the National Guard responded heroically, and continue to do so as we speak."

By early yesterday morning, more then 1,000 members of the Massachusetts National Guard as well as Guard members from nearby states had descended on Boston to provide support.

As our hearts mourn for the people affected and the whole city of Boston, we also salute the bravery of the many National Guard members who took action immediately and selflessly in a most unexpected and horrific emergency.

Today, more than ever, commit to supporting our troops by registering to hire heroes on the Center for America website.

Maryland Gov. to Sign Veterans Full Employment Act of 2013 Tomorrow with Michelle Obama Present

We have written about the first lady's support for the troops before and tomorrow she'll be at it again, attending a bill signing at the Maryland State House.

Michelle Obama will witness Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's signing of the Veterans Full Employment Act of 2013.

According to the Washington Post, this legislation "will enable veterans who apply for occupational and professional licenses in Maryland to get credit for their military training, education and experience."

The Post reports that bill will do two things - 1) Require public colleges and universities to develop policies that award academic credit for relevant military training and education and 2) Create expedited licensing procedures in the state of Maryland for veterans and military spouses who hold professional licenses in other states.

We're looking forward to seeing this bill become law tomorrow!

Spotlight on Supporters: Rhode Island Manufacturers Association

As promised, here is our weekly spotlight on a very special American Jobs for America's Heroes campaign supporter.

This week, we are showing our gratitude for the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association (RIMA).  

We were thrilled when RIMA, which represents over 40,000 manufacturing jobs in Rhode Island, send an e-mail to its members in support of AJAH.

Here is some more information about RIMA - 

RIMA is a nonprofit, member-driven association created to enhance the ability of Rhode Island manufacturers to compete effectively and profitably in local, national and global markets by legislating Rhode Island into the top quartile among states in terms of manufacturing competitiveness. RIMA’s goal is to serve as the unified voice of the state’s manufacturing sector. RIMA will educate and influence the public, the media, and government officials regarding the important contribution a strong manufacturing base makes to our local, national and global economies.

You can join RIMA and our other campaign supporters by visiting the Center for America website and registering to post open jobs for heroes. 

National Guard Members' Next Battle: The Job Hunt

The Center for America's campaign American Job for America's Heroes has a special focus on connecting members of the US National Guard with American employers.

Today, we thought we'd share some information that explains our special interest in assisting National Guard members.

Statistics show that the unemployment rate for members of the National Guard is currently hovering around 20%, about twice the rate of all military veterans as a group.  This means that there are more than 60,000 unemployed National Guard members looking for jobs right now.

A compelling story from NPR explored the circumstances surrounding the 182nd Regiment of the Army National Guard as they returned home after a year-long deployment from Afghanistan.  Shockingly, a survey of the regiment's members as they prepared to return home showed that about one in three were unemployed or looking for work.

NPR cites the Army data noting that these so-called "citizen soldiers" have been mobilized more in the past decade than at any other time since the Korean War.  As a result, for these men and women, being in the National Guard has become a full-time job.  As they return from combat, however, these members of the National Guard are struggling to build or return to careers.  Returning National Guard members in particular have a hard time finding work because the nature of their service may require that they return to active duty again for a year or more.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the National Guard members are facing a crisis.  National Guard members, highlighted by the LA Times, often take on additional deployments because they cannot find civilian work, putting a strain on their health and the health of their families.

These heartbreaking tales of heroes who return to unemployment inspire the work of AJAH.

You can get involved by registering to post your open jobs on the Center for America website here.

"Reflections" on AJAH

We were thrilled when we saw the latest installment of "Reflections," a quarterly update written by Bill Weber, the president and CEO of The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals.

Bill Weber
President & CEO of APSP

A member of the American Jobs for America's Heroes Campaign Advisory Council, Bill generously dedicated his update on March 25, 2013 to AJAH's work.

Of the 358,000 current National Guard citizen-soldiers, Bill notes, 60,000+ of them are currently unemployed.  Bill says that a major challenge for National Guard members is transferring the skills they learned in the Guard to civilian employment.  In reality, Bill explains, the problem is not so much transferring as translating the skills because jobs are often classified quite differently in the military and the private sector.

Bill points out that National Guard members are a great fit for many civilian positions both because of their skills and also because of the other qualities they possess like integrity, leadership, and discipline.  In particular, Bill says many National Guard members would be excellent candidates for jobs in the pool and spa industry. And he would know!

Bill encourages employers to utilize the database and hands-on assistance offered by AJAH and its partners. Highlighting the services offered by AJAH, he concludes that participating as an employer is quite easy and efficient. 

We appreciate the support of Bill and APSP!

If you would like to join APSP in supporting the mission of AJAH, please visit the Center for America website and register to post jobs for heroes.

Spotlight on Supporters - PMA and NTMA

At American Jobs for America's Heroes, our chief goal is to connect unemployed members of the US National Guard with American employers.  We are working toward this goal by providing job posting technology and so much more.

First, our state-of-the-art job posting technology system was donated by Kenexa, an IBM company.  This the the same software used by hundreds of Fortune 500 companies and government agencies.

In addition, our nonprofit alliance partners, Corporate America Supports You (CASY) and the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN) provide employment counselors to assist employers and military applicants and spouses to find the best matches.  CASY and MSCCN work closely with hundreds of state National Guard employment counselors across the country to match postings coming in through the campaign with unemployed National Guard members.

Still, no matter how dedicated we are to our mission of connecting National Guard members with employers and no matter how great our technology and support systems are, we would simply not be able to have success without the support of  the many associations, professional societies, and state chambers across the country who encourage their members to register and post their open jobs with us.

Each week on our blog, we'll shine a spotlight on some of the supporters who are helping our heroes by encouraging their members to post jobs.

This week, we're giving special recognition to the Precision Metalforming Association and the
National Tooling and Machining Association.

These two organizations, together known as "One Voice," have a combined federal government advocacy program designed to promote U.S. government policies that will ensure a strong manufacturing sector in the United States.  Together, they represent more than 3,000 companies with more than 500,000 employees and more then $157 billion - that's BILLION with a B - in annual sales.

Their joint website - www.metalworkingadvocate.org/front - now features AJAH on the homepage.

You can see a screen shot of site on the right side of your screen.  We are pleased that they decided to include links to the one-page PDF flyer for employers as well as to the registration page on the Center for America website.

More information about the two organizations follows.

You can join the members of  PMA and NTMA in posting jobs and hiring heroes by visiting www.centerforamerica.org/register.html

The Precision Metalforming Association is the full-service trade association representing the $113-billion metalforming industry of North America.  That's the industry that creates precision metal products using stamping, fabricating, spinning, slide forming and roll forming technologies, and other value-added processes. Its nearly 900 member companies also include suppliers of equipment, materials and services to the industry. PMA leads innovative member companies toward superior competitiveness and profitability through advocacy, networking, statistics, the PMA Educational Foundation, FABTECH and METALFORM tradeshows, and MetalForming and Fabricating Product News magazines.

The National Tooling and Machining Association is made up of 1400 member companies who design and manufacture special tools, dies, jigs, fixtures, gages, special machines and precision-machined parts.  Some firms specialize in experimental research and development work as well as rapid prototyping.  Many NTMA members are privately owned small businesses, yet the industry generates sales in excess of $40 billion a year.  NTMA’s mission is to help members of the U.S. precision custom manufacturing industry achieve business success in a global economy through advocacy, advice, networking, information, programs and services.