H2H = Jobs

Posted by Gary O'Rielly 
on Dec 06, 2013
 

H2H.jobs is the Pentagon's Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program aimed at hiring unemployed veterans upon return to the communities they live in. The program addresses Why hiring a person with military experience is so important. John Patterson wrapped up our series on America's Military at the December 6th meeting.

John began his service to our country by earning his Eagle Scout in Michigan where he also did three years as a Counselor at Scout Camp. He earned a BA from the University of Michigan followed by many years as an officer in the United States Navy. He recruited for the U.S. Naval Academy for 15 years, served on the Congressional Service Academy Selection Committee and did tours at the National War College and at the Armed Forces Staff College. He has worked for 36 years in the international telecommunications industry and for the past 10 years has been involved with the Department of Defense through the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve programs as an Ombudsman. And, for the past fourteen months, has been an Employment Transition Coordinator in Washington with A-Team Solutions.

 
John has made presentations to other Rotary Clubs with the most recent being Arlington and Snohomish. One of the major obstacles in Washington State is competing with the unemployment benefits of US$550 per week for these military unemployed men and women. So John works to educate military personnel on the benefits of entering the private workforce. Forty page resumes do not work in the private sector, so he works with these men and women to prepare their resumes to suit the jobs they are exploring and how to answer these job descriptions as a key to their future successes. For instance, the nation's trucking industry told John and his counterparts ficcw years ago that their would be a shortage of 1,000 truck drivers in the United States. And, that has been the case. John works with employers in Washington to conduct job fairs for the military and sponsor booths as various job fairs. Over 400 Washington employers have signed on to the H2H jobs program while 19,000 have signed up nationally.  As the military begins its draw-down, more and more of these veterans will be looking and seeking jobs in the private sector.

This was the conclusion of the series on America's Military. Thanks again James Monroe for being on top of these series and giving us quality programs week-in and week-out.