Our program for Friday, October 4th was Joe Wallis, Senior Military Engagement Manager for Military Affairs at Microsoft. Joe manages Microsoft's on-base Military engagement for Microsoft Software and Systems Academy, as well as Microsoft's other military programs. Joe has supported military recruiting and engagement at Microsoft for more than four years. A second-generation service member, Joe is a retired Lieutenant Colonel with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and has 28 years of combined active and reserve service.
The Military Engagement Program was developed at Joint Base Lewis McCord along with St. Martin's College, Olympia because of the lack of technical information regarding military members. The program was a 16 week program engaging military members getting ready to return to civilian life. Microsoft now has 15 locations and the program has evolved as an 18 week program and involves Emery Riddle Aeronautical University who designed all of the curriculum.
The curriculum is based on three learning tracks. Veterans employment rates in 2010-11 were in the 15-18% range. After the U.S. Department of Defense passed a directive allowing for training for veterans during their last 6 months of service as well as the GI Bill paying for the program, those numbers have climbed significantly. Billions of dollars have been spent by DOD since the programs inception. You must have some math in your background so that the goal of employment is attained when leaving military life. Currently, there are 300-350 companies involved in hiring some of these veterans. Salary range is around $75,000 to 80,000. There is a high retention rate as well. Most classrooms in the program have around 25-30 members. Goal is to graduate 1,000 service members.