By Lt. Col. Andrew Morton
Guest Blogger
I wanted to share a few links regarding an Army Reserve Emergency Medicine physician who exemplifies what we believe the Army Reserve’s Value Proposition (ARVP) truly is. Dr. Kathryn Hall-Boyer, a colonel in the Army Reserve who is currently serving in Afghanistan (See 2nd link below). While not serving in uniform she is a professor and clinical instructor in the Emergency Medicine Department at Emory University. Hall-Boyer also serves as chair of the American Association of Women Emergency Physicians section of ACEP and is a member of the ACEP Ethics Committee. ACEP is a 25,000 member organization of Emergency Physicians from across the country.
Hall-Boyer’s awards, and recognition in both her civilian and Army circles are too numerous to mention. Clearly, the balance of working in Academic Medicine with the opportunity to practice clinically across the world in Afghanistan is a balance that all doctors aspire to have. Quite frankly, it’s a combination of opportunities, training, and experiences that epitomize both “making a difference” while also “gaining an edge.” Neither her civilian counterparts in her field or her active duty counterparts share these same incredible opportunities.
Granted, from an advertising perspective her story may not resonate with the younger generation, and recommending her as a profile is not necessarily my recommendation here. I share this with all of you because as we move forward we are looking for these connections or set of circumstances across all demographics and occupational specialties. When we see a story of an Army Reserve Soldier doing great things in uniform our intuitive follow-up should be “what’s their civilian career?” Every story in uniform should have a civilian side to it, even for our AGR and mobilized Soldiers.
As Lt. Gen. Stultz has said providing civilian ready, transferable-skilled, and trained people back into the workforce is one of our strongest attributes. Hall-Boyer’s experience in Afghanistan could not more accurately personify this notion. Her story defies so many of the typical conventional wisdoms regarding service in uniform and it’s our goal in Recruiting Communications to find these profiles and share them.
http://whsc.emory.edu/press_releases2.cfm?announcement_id_seq=13987
http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/05/12/20943-doctor-confronts-maternal-mortality-in-afghanistan
Showing posts with label Army Reserve Employer Partnership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Army Reserve Employer Partnership. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Employer join partnership to hire reservists
From AUSA News, May 2009
At a time when the American economy is stressed and the nation’s security challenges demand a responsive, operational reserve force, the chief of the Army Reserve, Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, has reached out to employers asking them to partner with the Army Reserve on employment strategies dealing with deployments and the challenges they face in supporting the deployments of their employees serving in the reserve.
The Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative has created an opportunity for employers who want to hire Army Reserve soldier to sign on as employer partners.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, military associations, professional associations and unions, are now contributing to this effort.
The Army Reserve – from its roots in 1908 as a small medical corps of 160 doctors to today’s fully operational force of over 202,000 highly-skilled men and women from diverse fields – has worked to keep our nation safe for over 100 years. From defending our borders to protecting our communities, Army Reserve soldiers have served in every major conflict since its inception, while contributing to our nation’s economy. Americans have supported these brave warrior-citizens – both in their military and civilian lives – as they continue to keep our nation strong as we fight the global war on terrorism.
The job opportunities American employers are providing through the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative (EPI) support the reserve’s mission in a concrete and substantive way.The Employer Partnership Initiative, launched in April 2008, helps drive employment opportunities for soldiers by enhancing the relationship between the Army Reserve and employers who share common goals of strengthening the local community, supporting Army Reserve soldiers and growing a stronger economy.
EPI offers soldiers two careers – one as a citizen-soldier in the Army Reserve who brings his or her civilian job skills to the battlefield, and the other as a highly skilled employee, working for an employer partner whose civilian skills have been fine-tuned by military training and experience.
EPI gives a competitive edge to a soldier over his peers in both his civilian and military careers.
Stultz said the initiative also provides a way for the Army Reserve to provide tangible benefits to soldiers and their families. “The initiative gives our soldiers the opportunity to advance their private sector careers and provides their families the stability they often lack while the soldier continues to defend and protect our country,” he said.
The Army Reserve is adapting to meet new challenges. In the 20th century, Army Reserve soldiers trained one weekend a month and two weeks every summer. To meet the demands of the 21st century and the global battle against terrorist networks, the Army Reserve has transformed from a strategic reserve to an operational force that is an integral part of the Army. This has often meant longer deployments, increasing the burden on the civilian lives of reserve soldiers.
Stultz said, “This truly is an operational force, and if you join the Army Reserve today, you are going to deploy. We owe you help with your employer to make sure that you can maintain a civilian job while you’re serving your country.”
The Army Reserve’s first employer partner was the Inova Health System, the Northern Virginia-based healthcare system that offers opportunities for soldiers in areas of critical clinical support, such as radiology, respiratory therapy and surgical occupations.
The mutually beneficial agreement allows the Army Reserve and Inova to recruit personnel and then share the talents of trained medical professionals. The early link with Inova has given rise to partnerships with other healthcare organizations, including the Cleveland Clinic, Northeast Ohio Health Science & Innovation Coalition (NOHSIC) and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, among others.
The Army Reserve provides two-thirds of the Army’s medical capabilities, making healthcare partnerships – like those with Inova or NOHSIC – viable long-term opportunities for returning reserve soldiers or new enlistees looking for a career.
But it is not only the soldiers who benefit from these partnerships; our partners get some of the best trained medical practitioners available to anyone in the industry. “This is a win-win situation,” Maj. Gen. Robert Kasulke, deputy surgeon general for mobilization, readiness and reserve affairs, U.S. Army Reserve, said. “The hospital can get a decent employee, fully skilled, drug free and morally clean.”
As the healthcare industry expands and the demand for medical workers increases, the Army Reserve is a natural place to look.
The Summa Health System CEO, Tom Strauss, said, “This is a skilled workforce that has already been trained to come in and help us fill those needs so it’s a marriage made in heaven.”
The Employer Partnership Initiative, however, is not limited to the healthcare field. Meeting today’s economic needs, the program spans several industries from transportation and logistics to telecommunications, healthcare, law enforcement, and information technology. The initiative continues to gain tremendous support from many of America’s leading companies because partners are integrating highly skilled and talented soldiers into their work force.
General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said, “This partnership matches with GE’s commitment to hire talented people with uncompromising integrity.”
Close to 300 public and private employers – in nearly every state – have joined the initiative. Soldier employment opportunities now exist with Fortune 500 companies such as Wal-Mart, General Electric and Boeing; municipal organizations such as the New York Police Department and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department; and state placement agencies in states including Oregon, Vermont, Missouri, and Florida, among others.
The Employer Partnership Initiative provides soldiers with the tools for professional development and advancement in their civilian career. As the partner list grows, job prospects widen as well. To see the various open positions, visit the Army Reserve Web site at www.ArmyReserve.Army.mil.
“I was impressed at the variety of jobs available and the diversity of occupations,” Arnel Albano, an Army Reserve captain, said.. “The Web site is a great service to soldiers who are looking for meaningful long-term careers. I hope this project continues on and continues to grow with more business partners.”The Army Reserve also has career counselors for soldiers as they explore the variety of job opportunities presented by Employer Partners.
Through the Employer Partnership, the Army Reserve assists its soldiers in maximizing their unique skills, training and advancement in both their military and civilian careers. Soldier employees undergo training to meet both Army and industry standards so that they will be more than qualified to fill multiple industry shortfalls and continue to strengthen our nation militarily – and economically.
For more information about joining the Employer Partnership Initiative, including a complete list of Employer Partners and job openings, visit the Army Reserve Web site at www.ArmyReserve.Army.mil.
(Editor’s note: This story is based on an article by Col. Dianna Cleven, chief operating officer, Employer Partnership Initiative).
At a time when the American economy is stressed and the nation’s security challenges demand a responsive, operational reserve force, the chief of the Army Reserve, Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, has reached out to employers asking them to partner with the Army Reserve on employment strategies dealing with deployments and the challenges they face in supporting the deployments of their employees serving in the reserve.
The Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative has created an opportunity for employers who want to hire Army Reserve soldier to sign on as employer partners.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, military associations, professional associations and unions, are now contributing to this effort.
The Army Reserve – from its roots in 1908 as a small medical corps of 160 doctors to today’s fully operational force of over 202,000 highly-skilled men and women from diverse fields – has worked to keep our nation safe for over 100 years. From defending our borders to protecting our communities, Army Reserve soldiers have served in every major conflict since its inception, while contributing to our nation’s economy. Americans have supported these brave warrior-citizens – both in their military and civilian lives – as they continue to keep our nation strong as we fight the global war on terrorism.
The job opportunities American employers are providing through the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative (EPI) support the reserve’s mission in a concrete and substantive way.The Employer Partnership Initiative, launched in April 2008, helps drive employment opportunities for soldiers by enhancing the relationship between the Army Reserve and employers who share common goals of strengthening the local community, supporting Army Reserve soldiers and growing a stronger economy.
EPI offers soldiers two careers – one as a citizen-soldier in the Army Reserve who brings his or her civilian job skills to the battlefield, and the other as a highly skilled employee, working for an employer partner whose civilian skills have been fine-tuned by military training and experience.
EPI gives a competitive edge to a soldier over his peers in both his civilian and military careers.
Stultz said the initiative also provides a way for the Army Reserve to provide tangible benefits to soldiers and their families. “The initiative gives our soldiers the opportunity to advance their private sector careers and provides their families the stability they often lack while the soldier continues to defend and protect our country,” he said.
The Army Reserve is adapting to meet new challenges. In the 20th century, Army Reserve soldiers trained one weekend a month and two weeks every summer. To meet the demands of the 21st century and the global battle against terrorist networks, the Army Reserve has transformed from a strategic reserve to an operational force that is an integral part of the Army. This has often meant longer deployments, increasing the burden on the civilian lives of reserve soldiers.
Stultz said, “This truly is an operational force, and if you join the Army Reserve today, you are going to deploy. We owe you help with your employer to make sure that you can maintain a civilian job while you’re serving your country.”
The Army Reserve’s first employer partner was the Inova Health System, the Northern Virginia-based healthcare system that offers opportunities for soldiers in areas of critical clinical support, such as radiology, respiratory therapy and surgical occupations.
The mutually beneficial agreement allows the Army Reserve and Inova to recruit personnel and then share the talents of trained medical professionals. The early link with Inova has given rise to partnerships with other healthcare organizations, including the Cleveland Clinic, Northeast Ohio Health Science & Innovation Coalition (NOHSIC) and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, among others.
The Army Reserve provides two-thirds of the Army’s medical capabilities, making healthcare partnerships – like those with Inova or NOHSIC – viable long-term opportunities for returning reserve soldiers or new enlistees looking for a career.
But it is not only the soldiers who benefit from these partnerships; our partners get some of the best trained medical practitioners available to anyone in the industry. “This is a win-win situation,” Maj. Gen. Robert Kasulke, deputy surgeon general for mobilization, readiness and reserve affairs, U.S. Army Reserve, said. “The hospital can get a decent employee, fully skilled, drug free and morally clean.”
As the healthcare industry expands and the demand for medical workers increases, the Army Reserve is a natural place to look.
The Summa Health System CEO, Tom Strauss, said, “This is a skilled workforce that has already been trained to come in and help us fill those needs so it’s a marriage made in heaven.”
The Employer Partnership Initiative, however, is not limited to the healthcare field. Meeting today’s economic needs, the program spans several industries from transportation and logistics to telecommunications, healthcare, law enforcement, and information technology. The initiative continues to gain tremendous support from many of America’s leading companies because partners are integrating highly skilled and talented soldiers into their work force.
General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said, “This partnership matches with GE’s commitment to hire talented people with uncompromising integrity.”
Close to 300 public and private employers – in nearly every state – have joined the initiative. Soldier employment opportunities now exist with Fortune 500 companies such as Wal-Mart, General Electric and Boeing; municipal organizations such as the New York Police Department and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department; and state placement agencies in states including Oregon, Vermont, Missouri, and Florida, among others.
The Employer Partnership Initiative provides soldiers with the tools for professional development and advancement in their civilian career. As the partner list grows, job prospects widen as well. To see the various open positions, visit the Army Reserve Web site at www.ArmyReserve.Army.mil.
“I was impressed at the variety of jobs available and the diversity of occupations,” Arnel Albano, an Army Reserve captain, said.. “The Web site is a great service to soldiers who are looking for meaningful long-term careers. I hope this project continues on and continues to grow with more business partners.”The Army Reserve also has career counselors for soldiers as they explore the variety of job opportunities presented by Employer Partners.
Through the Employer Partnership, the Army Reserve assists its soldiers in maximizing their unique skills, training and advancement in both their military and civilian careers. Soldier employees undergo training to meet both Army and industry standards so that they will be more than qualified to fill multiple industry shortfalls and continue to strengthen our nation militarily – and economically.
For more information about joining the Employer Partnership Initiative, including a complete list of Employer Partners and job openings, visit the Army Reserve Web site at www.ArmyReserve.Army.mil.
(Editor’s note: This story is based on an article by Col. Dianna Cleven, chief operating officer, Employer Partnership Initiative).
How to Make the Cut
By Lily Whiteman
"Careers Columnist" for the Federal Times
When you apply for your next federal job, your application will likely first have to impress a computer. Before a human resources professional or selecting official decides whether to call you in for an interview, a computer scores your responses to short-answer questions to determine whether you have, in government lingo, “made the cert.”
Your answers to these questions — which will be formatted as true-false, check-the-boxes and tiered-response answers — may make or break your application.
Here’s why: Each potential response has a certain point value; the more types of experience and the more advanced experience each answer represents, the more points it is worth.
If the computer determines your total score, together with any veterans’ preferences points you have, falls below a predetermined threshold, your application will be rejected automatically, even before a human being has so much as glanced at it.
If your answers meet or exceed the threshold, your application will be forwarded to the selecting official for a possible interview.
Here is how to ace your short-answer questions: Troll through all of your educational and professional credentials, and interpret them liberally and leniently. Then give an answer — without lying — that represents your highest level of experience, biggest influence, most responsibility and most seniority. In tiered-response questions, this winning answer will not necessarily be positioned first or last in the list of possible answers. Then, in your résumé and application essays, support your short answers by further describing your credentials. Why? Because if you make the cert, a human resources official will cross-check your short answers against the rest of your application. If he determines that your answers aren’t corroborated, he will reject your application before forwarding it to the selecting official.
As you answer short-answer questions, remember that job applicants are not expected to judge themselves strictly or harshly. The heartless, soulless computer won’t give your application any points for candor; it will give your application points only for offering winning answers.
Therefore, if you don’t judge yourself liberally and leniently, you may sabotage your own application.
This means that you should, for example, interpret vague terms in application questions to your advantage. So, where you are asked whether you are an expert in a certain field, answer affirmatively if you have significant educational or work expert in that field.
If you are asked if you have been a supervisor, answer affirmatively if you have allocated assignments and evaluated the work of members of a team you have led, even if you were not the first-line supervisor of team members.
If you don’t have a requested credential, give yourself full credit for any equivalent credential you do have. For example, if you are asked whether you took a course in a subject you never formally studied, answer affirmatively if you learned the subject through on-the-job experience, self-study or travel.
Your experience does not have to be earned on a federal job or your current job to count. Nor does it have to account for the majority or even a significant amount of your time to count.If you cannot give yourself the winning answer for all or almost all short-answer questions on a particular application, your application probably won’t make the cut and will be rejected. Therefore, your time would be better spent applying for other jobs.
If you do apply and are rejected from your target job, call the contact person identified on the vacancy announcement, and ask for your application’s point score and whether you “made the cert.”
The feedback should help you determine if your application approach is on the right track or warrants an overhaul.
Lily Whiteman is a public affairs officer at the National Science Foundation and author of “How to Land a Top-Paying Federal Job,’’ available from Federal Times’ Books & More at http://www.federaltimes.com/ times.com. Her Web site is IGotTheJob.net.
"Careers Columnist" for the Federal Times
When you apply for your next federal job, your application will likely first have to impress a computer. Before a human resources professional or selecting official decides whether to call you in for an interview, a computer scores your responses to short-answer questions to determine whether you have, in government lingo, “made the cert.”
Your answers to these questions — which will be formatted as true-false, check-the-boxes and tiered-response answers — may make or break your application.
Here’s why: Each potential response has a certain point value; the more types of experience and the more advanced experience each answer represents, the more points it is worth.
If the computer determines your total score, together with any veterans’ preferences points you have, falls below a predetermined threshold, your application will be rejected automatically, even before a human being has so much as glanced at it.
If your answers meet or exceed the threshold, your application will be forwarded to the selecting official for a possible interview.
Here is how to ace your short-answer questions: Troll through all of your educational and professional credentials, and interpret them liberally and leniently. Then give an answer — without lying — that represents your highest level of experience, biggest influence, most responsibility and most seniority. In tiered-response questions, this winning answer will not necessarily be positioned first or last in the list of possible answers. Then, in your résumé and application essays, support your short answers by further describing your credentials. Why? Because if you make the cert, a human resources official will cross-check your short answers against the rest of your application. If he determines that your answers aren’t corroborated, he will reject your application before forwarding it to the selecting official.
As you answer short-answer questions, remember that job applicants are not expected to judge themselves strictly or harshly. The heartless, soulless computer won’t give your application any points for candor; it will give your application points only for offering winning answers.
Therefore, if you don’t judge yourself liberally and leniently, you may sabotage your own application.
This means that you should, for example, interpret vague terms in application questions to your advantage. So, where you are asked whether you are an expert in a certain field, answer affirmatively if you have significant educational or work expert in that field.
If you are asked if you have been a supervisor, answer affirmatively if you have allocated assignments and evaluated the work of members of a team you have led, even if you were not the first-line supervisor of team members.
If you don’t have a requested credential, give yourself full credit for any equivalent credential you do have. For example, if you are asked whether you took a course in a subject you never formally studied, answer affirmatively if you learned the subject through on-the-job experience, self-study or travel.
Your experience does not have to be earned on a federal job or your current job to count. Nor does it have to account for the majority or even a significant amount of your time to count.If you cannot give yourself the winning answer for all or almost all short-answer questions on a particular application, your application probably won’t make the cut and will be rejected. Therefore, your time would be better spent applying for other jobs.
If you do apply and are rejected from your target job, call the contact person identified on the vacancy announcement, and ask for your application’s point score and whether you “made the cert.”
The feedback should help you determine if your application approach is on the right track or warrants an overhaul.
Lily Whiteman is a public affairs officer at the National Science Foundation and author of “How to Land a Top-Paying Federal Job,’’ available from Federal Times’ Books & More at http://www.federaltimes.com/ times.com. Her Web site is IGotTheJob.net.
Creating Partnerships for America
U.S. industry leaders and Army Reserve leadership met for two days in Washington, D.C. to discuss solutions for Soldier reintegration to the workplace, employability and deployment and training cycles, and overcoming challenging economic realities during the Employer Partnership Initiative CEO Conference April 27-28 at the Pentagon in Washington D.C.(photo by Staff Sgt. S. L. Vega - Army Multimedia Visual Information Directorate (AMVID)Col. Dianna Cleven
Chief Operating Officer
Employer Partnership Initiative
Office of the Chief, Army Reserve
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Monday, April 27th, Chief of the Army Reserve Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, the Employer Partnership Initiative Board of Directors, and approximately fifteen industry leaders met in the Pentagon to talk about how to enhance the Army Reserve’s Employer Partnership Initiative (EPI) and to collaborate on a shared human capital strategy.
Secretary of the Army, the Honorable Pete Geren, and the Chief of Staff, Army Gen. George W. Casey, Jr. both addressed the diverse group. Attendees included representatives from assorted industries: trucking, defense, healthcare, human resources, retail, information technology, roofing, and finance. Nonprofits and for-profit organizations were included, as well as associations, the U.S. Chamber, and a state Chamber of Commerce.
After the day-and-a-half-long seminar, the business leaders told Stultz and Director of the Army Staff Lt. Gen. David L. Huntoon that EPI afforded a way for the Army Reserve to partner with business leaders on how to generate America's future competitive workforce. They indicated that they envisioned a total personnel and talent management system for those in or out of uniform. This included a predictable career path for Army Reserve Soldiers, which would integrate human resource management counseling such that Citizen Soldiers would have advice on how military or civilian career choices could shape outcomes in both their military and civilian careers. These leaders indicated developing such a workforce model would require innovation and would bring a deeper, richer relationship between the Army Reserve and employers. Under this model, business would create and identify jobs and career opportunities for Soldiers, and military and civilian career training would be synchronized. This would be accomplished by training to civilian certification requirements and leveraging existing virtual training mechanisms.
Collaboration on how to shape this future workforce will be accomplished via EPI Partners and EPI team member working groups that will meet every two weeks and monthly meetings of the larger group that met this week, who will evaluate progress. Industry leaders will populate the working groups with creative, talented persons in their own organizations, and these persons will work with the EPI team on pertinent issues. The group intends to come back to the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Chief of the Army Reserve with a completed plan by November 2009.
Some of the initial work the working groups will take on are the following: training-certification needs, alignment of EPI goals with legislation, collaboration with the education community, identifying civilian and military career opportunities (including connecting deployment to career paths - civilian and military - and matching military skills to civilian needs), benchmarking employer programs that can be leveraged by the military, identifying translator tools to facilitate placement in career opportunities commensurate with the Soldier’s experience and training, and developing program performance metrics to measure partnership success.
Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief, Army Reserve and commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command, and Lt. Gen. David L. Huntoon, director of Army Staff, brain storm with U.S. industry leaders from G.E., Con-way, Volt Information Services, BAE Systems, American Trucking Association and Kelly Service during the Employer Partnership Initiative CEO Conference April 27-28 at the Pentagon in Washington D.C.(photo by Staff Sgt. S. L. Vega - Army Multimedia Visual Information Directorate (AMVID)
Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., chief of staff of the United States Army, talks to the U.S. industry leaders and Army Reserve leadership who participated in the Employer Partnership Initiative CEO Conference April 27-28 at the Pentagon in Washington D.C.(photo by Staff Sgt. S. L. Vega - Army Multimedia Visual Information Directorate (AMVID)
Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief, Army Reserve and commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command and industry CEOs listen while Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., talks about the importance of partnership during the Employer Partnership Initiative CEO Conference April 27-28 at the Pentagon in Washington D.C.(photo by Staff Sgt. S. L. Vega - Army Multimedia Visual Information Directorate (AMVID)U.S. Army Reserve, Customs and Border Protection Launch Jobs Partnership
Partnership to Assist Border Agency in Filling 11,000 Positions
Jason P. Ahern, acting commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (left) and Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief, U.S. Army Reserve (right) sign the official Employer Partner Initiative agreement in Washington, D.C. on April 21, 2009. photo by Nick Crettier)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Army Reserve and U.S. Customs and Border Protection formally agreed today to work collaboratively to enhance job opportunities for America's Soldiers and Veterans. The alliance, launched under the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative, will help strengthen the community, support Army Reserve Soldiers and their Families, and contribute to a strong economy.
"This formal alliance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection presents a remarkable opportunity for our some 10,200 trained and skilled Army Reserve Soldiers to potentially achieve their career goals with this federal agency," said Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief, Army Reserve. "This formal partnership also sets the standard among other federal agencies and the Army Reserve."
Through the employer partnership, the Army Reserve is collaborating with public and private sector leaders across the country to develop staffing solutions to meet America's industry demands, tackle the issue of work force preparedness and reinvigorate America's human talent to remain competitive in the global economy. Since its inception in April 2008, nearly 300 employers have joined the initiative.
CBP is the first federal agency to join the Army Reserve's Employer Partnership.
"CBP maintains a deep commitment to hiring and supporting the brave men and women who protect and defend America," said Jayson P. Ahern, acting commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "These Citizen-Soldiers have a well earned reputation as exemplary employees with proven leadership, teamwork, discipline and grace under pressure that are immeasurably valuable to any organization."
With an estimated 11,000 jobs opening in CBP, the partnership will aim to help Army Reserve Soldiers and Veterans find jobs in today’s economy.
Read the article in Tuesday's Washington Post: Border Agency to Hire More Army Reservists.
ABOUT THE UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVE
The Army Reserve is a positive investment for America. Community based and federally directed, the Army Reserve provides trained and ready units to complement the Army, ready to perform their mission during peacetime, overseas contingencies and war. Our Soldiers are highly skilled full-time patriots whom civilian employers share with the Army Reserve. The value the Army Reserve brings to America is embodied in these professional men and women who possess the skills and capabilities that can be used on the battlefield and in the civilian sector.
The Army Reserve is a reservoir of trained and experienced professionals in transportation, logistics, supply chain management, law enforcement and public safety, health care, telecommunications, information technology, construction trades, engineering, civil affairs, finance, legal services and human resources. Army Reserve Soldiers have played a vital role in every American military and humanitarian mission of the past 100 years. Today, roughly 206,000 trained Army Reserve Soldiers in units across the country stand ready to serve the Nation when called upon by the President of the United States. The quality of our force has never been higher. Our Soldiers are one of the best returns on investment American citizens make for the security and freedoms they enjoy.
ABOUT U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION
CBP is one of the Department of Homeland Security's largest and most complex components, with a priority mission of keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the U.S. It also has a responsibility for securing and facilitating trade and travel while enforcing hundreds of U.S. regulations, including immigration and drug laws.
The uniformed men and women of CBP make up the largest law enforcement organization in the nation and take a solemn vow to secure the homeland from terrorists and other threats.
CBP performs two crucial roles in facilitating trade to and from the U.S. and around the globe: securing it from acts of terrorism and assuring that goods arriving in the U.S. are legitimate and that appropriate duties and fees are paid.
Last year CBP safely welcomed more than 400 million people into the U.S., continuing America's tradition of being a welcoming country while also preventing dangerous people from entering.
Jason P. Ahern, acting commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (left) and Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief, U.S. Army Reserve (right) sign the official Employer Partner Initiative agreement in Washington, D.C. on April 21, 2009. photo by Nick Crettier)WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Army Reserve and U.S. Customs and Border Protection formally agreed today to work collaboratively to enhance job opportunities for America's Soldiers and Veterans. The alliance, launched under the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative, will help strengthen the community, support Army Reserve Soldiers and their Families, and contribute to a strong economy.
"This formal alliance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection presents a remarkable opportunity for our some 10,200 trained and skilled Army Reserve Soldiers to potentially achieve their career goals with this federal agency," said Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief, Army Reserve. "This formal partnership also sets the standard among other federal agencies and the Army Reserve."
Through the employer partnership, the Army Reserve is collaborating with public and private sector leaders across the country to develop staffing solutions to meet America's industry demands, tackle the issue of work force preparedness and reinvigorate America's human talent to remain competitive in the global economy. Since its inception in April 2008, nearly 300 employers have joined the initiative.
CBP is the first federal agency to join the Army Reserve's Employer Partnership.
"CBP maintains a deep commitment to hiring and supporting the brave men and women who protect and defend America," said Jayson P. Ahern, acting commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "These Citizen-Soldiers have a well earned reputation as exemplary employees with proven leadership, teamwork, discipline and grace under pressure that are immeasurably valuable to any organization."
With an estimated 11,000 jobs opening in CBP, the partnership will aim to help Army Reserve Soldiers and Veterans find jobs in today’s economy.
Read the article in Tuesday's Washington Post: Border Agency to Hire More Army Reservists.
ABOUT THE UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVE
The Army Reserve is a positive investment for America. Community based and federally directed, the Army Reserve provides trained and ready units to complement the Army, ready to perform their mission during peacetime, overseas contingencies and war. Our Soldiers are highly skilled full-time patriots whom civilian employers share with the Army Reserve. The value the Army Reserve brings to America is embodied in these professional men and women who possess the skills and capabilities that can be used on the battlefield and in the civilian sector.
The Army Reserve is a reservoir of trained and experienced professionals in transportation, logistics, supply chain management, law enforcement and public safety, health care, telecommunications, information technology, construction trades, engineering, civil affairs, finance, legal services and human resources. Army Reserve Soldiers have played a vital role in every American military and humanitarian mission of the past 100 years. Today, roughly 206,000 trained Army Reserve Soldiers in units across the country stand ready to serve the Nation when called upon by the President of the United States. The quality of our force has never been higher. Our Soldiers are one of the best returns on investment American citizens make for the security and freedoms they enjoy.
ABOUT U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION
CBP is one of the Department of Homeland Security's largest and most complex components, with a priority mission of keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the U.S. It also has a responsibility for securing and facilitating trade and travel while enforcing hundreds of U.S. regulations, including immigration and drug laws.
The uniformed men and women of CBP make up the largest law enforcement organization in the nation and take a solemn vow to secure the homeland from terrorists and other threats.
CBP performs two crucial roles in facilitating trade to and from the U.S. and around the globe: securing it from acts of terrorism and assuring that goods arriving in the U.S. are legitimate and that appropriate duties and fees are paid.
Last year CBP safely welcomed more than 400 million people into the U.S., continuing America's tradition of being a welcoming country while also preventing dangerous people from entering.
What's your creed?
Chad Sowash
Guest Blogger
Can you imagine walking into work on your first day and being asked to memorize the company's creed? Creed? Yea, you know strong belief systems of which the company was predicated.
Where am I getting this crazy notion? Well, one of the very first items a new trainee must learn and memorize when arriving at the Fort Benning Reception Battalion, even before officially starting Basic Training, is The Soldier's Creed.
Here's how it goes ...
I am an American Soldier.
I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.
I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy, engage, and DESTROY the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
I am an American Soldier. HOOAH!
On the very first day this creed helps trainees (employees) understand what they must do to become a professional Soldier in the United State Army. This creed is more than just a belief for it is a way of living, which includes expectations for all Soldiers to live by after basic training, in combat or even after leaving the military completely.
What's your company creed? Better yet… What's your personal creed?
* Sowash is vice president of Business Development for DirectEmployers Association, an Employer Partner through the Army Reserve's Employer Partnership Initiative. You can check out his column the Chad for more on why employers should hire employees with military experience.
Guest Blogger
Can you imagine walking into work on your first day and being asked to memorize the company's creed? Creed? Yea, you know strong belief systems of which the company was predicated.
Where am I getting this crazy notion? Well, one of the very first items a new trainee must learn and memorize when arriving at the Fort Benning Reception Battalion, even before officially starting Basic Training, is The Soldier's Creed.
Here's how it goes ...
I am an American Soldier.
I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.
I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy, engage, and DESTROY the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
I am an American Soldier. HOOAH!
On the very first day this creed helps trainees (employees) understand what they must do to become a professional Soldier in the United State Army. This creed is more than just a belief for it is a way of living, which includes expectations for all Soldiers to live by after basic training, in combat or even after leaving the military completely.
What's your company creed? Better yet… What's your personal creed?
* Sowash is vice president of Business Development for DirectEmployers Association, an Employer Partner through the Army Reserve's Employer Partnership Initiative. You can check out his column the Chad for more on why employers should hire employees with military experience.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Five More U.S. Companies Join U.S. Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative
WORCESTER, Mass. — Fallon Clinic, a large, multi-specialty medical group practice in Central Massachusetts, Friday signed a memorandum of agreement to partner with the U.S. Army Reserve to bring the Employer Partnership Initiative (EPI) to the Fallon Clinic workplace. This initiative facilitates strategic and mutually beneficial relationships between employers and associations to recruit and train soldiers who are interested in securing a position in the growing field of healthcare, while they continue to provide service to our country. These soldiers will be training to fill needs in various healthcare-related fields, such as respiratory therapy, radiology, and physical therapy.
"At Fallon Clinic we believe that our success is directly linked to the quality of the people we hire," said Randi Nichols, executive vice president, Human Resources and Operations Support Services. "By partnering with the U.S. Army Reserve, we will attract and hire dedicated employees who are proven leaders, and also strengthen Fallon Clinic's impact on the success of our country's active military and veterans."
In partnering with the Army, Fallon Clinic has promised to employ or seek to employ qualified members of the Army Reserve and maintain a commitment to hiring and supporting the dedicated women and men who protect and serve the United States. Through this program, the Army Reserve and Fallon Clinic will collaborate on workforce development issues, including training, professional development and credentialing.
"The Army Reserve Employer Partnership is a human capital strategy that recognizes and characterizes the interconnectedness of business America and the Army Reserve," said Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, and commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command. "My vision is that corporate America considers the Army Reserve the number one source of professional, well-trained and experienced leaders. Just as our nation recognizes the Army Reserve as a good return on investment, my hope is that similarly, companies recognize Army Reserve soldiers as a sound investment in human talent."
It was the end of a great week for Army Reserve Soldiers. Every day a new partner signed an agreement to help build and develop Americans talent with the U.S. Army Reserve. In Michigan a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Ladlas Prince, became a partner Monday. Tuesday, Southwest Airlines landed long enough to join. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center wasn't far behind on Wednesday and Thurday International chemical company BASF Corporation rounded it out.
The Army Reserve is a community-based federally directed force of highly-skilled, patriotic men and women that provides our nation with trained units and qualified Soldiers during peacetime, contingencies and war. Today, about 206,000 trained Army Reserve Soldiers in units across the country stand ready to serve the nation when called upon by the President of the United States.
About Fallon Clinic
Fallon Clinic, a non-profit organization, is a large, multi-specialty group practice in Central Massachusetts. Fallon Clinic physicians and healthcare professionals offer the region’s most comprehensive array of primary care and specialty services, supported with cutting-edge technologies and service-oriented processes. Founded in 1929 by a team of physicians from the Mayo Clinic led by Dr. John Fallon, Fallon Clinic continues to grow and thrive. Based in Worcester, Fallon Clinic has over 1,700employees and approximately 250 physicians who see patients in more than 20 locations, including the Worcester Medical Center. Fallon Clinic accepts a broad range of insurance coverage, including plans from all major Massachusetts’ payers. More information about Fallon Clinic can be found by visiting http://www.fallonclinic.org/.
About Ladlas Prince
Ladlas Prince helps organizations reengineer, rethink and remodel the way they do business by thinking for the people & technology i.e. using its international & local business skills and experience for the betterment of business relationship between technology, information security, business strategies, processes and people. With Ladlas Prince’s established consortium of international partnerships, services are provided on-site, enabling us to apply our complete range of experience, excellent value, high productivity and consistent quality.
About Southwest Airline
What began as a small Texas airline has grown to become one of the largest airlines in America. Today, Southwest Airlines flies over 104 million passengers a year to 64 great cities all across the country, and we do it more than 3,400 times a day. With over 500 aircraft, Southwest has one of the youngest fleets in the nation, with an average age of approximately nine years.
About UPMC
UPMC is an integrated global health enterprise and one of the leading nonprofit health systems in the United States serving the health needs of more than 4 million people each year. Through redefined models of health care delivery, technological innovation, and cutting-edge medical research, UPMC is improving lives in western Pennsylvania and beyond.
About BASF Corporation
BASF is the world's leading chemical company with about 97,000 employees, six Verbund sites and close to 330 production sites worldwide it serve customers and partners in almost all countries of the world.
"At Fallon Clinic we believe that our success is directly linked to the quality of the people we hire," said Randi Nichols, executive vice president, Human Resources and Operations Support Services. "By partnering with the U.S. Army Reserve, we will attract and hire dedicated employees who are proven leaders, and also strengthen Fallon Clinic's impact on the success of our country's active military and veterans."
In partnering with the Army, Fallon Clinic has promised to employ or seek to employ qualified members of the Army Reserve and maintain a commitment to hiring and supporting the dedicated women and men who protect and serve the United States. Through this program, the Army Reserve and Fallon Clinic will collaborate on workforce development issues, including training, professional development and credentialing.
"The Army Reserve Employer Partnership is a human capital strategy that recognizes and characterizes the interconnectedness of business America and the Army Reserve," said Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, and commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command. "My vision is that corporate America considers the Army Reserve the number one source of professional, well-trained and experienced leaders. Just as our nation recognizes the Army Reserve as a good return on investment, my hope is that similarly, companies recognize Army Reserve soldiers as a sound investment in human talent."
It was the end of a great week for Army Reserve Soldiers. Every day a new partner signed an agreement to help build and develop Americans talent with the U.S. Army Reserve. In Michigan a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Ladlas Prince, became a partner Monday. Tuesday, Southwest Airlines landed long enough to join. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center wasn't far behind on Wednesday and Thurday International chemical company BASF Corporation rounded it out.
The Army Reserve is a community-based federally directed force of highly-skilled, patriotic men and women that provides our nation with trained units and qualified Soldiers during peacetime, contingencies and war. Today, about 206,000 trained Army Reserve Soldiers in units across the country stand ready to serve the nation when called upon by the President of the United States.
About Fallon Clinic
Fallon Clinic, a non-profit organization, is a large, multi-specialty group practice in Central Massachusetts. Fallon Clinic physicians and healthcare professionals offer the region’s most comprehensive array of primary care and specialty services, supported with cutting-edge technologies and service-oriented processes. Founded in 1929 by a team of physicians from the Mayo Clinic led by Dr. John Fallon, Fallon Clinic continues to grow and thrive. Based in Worcester, Fallon Clinic has over 1,700employees and approximately 250 physicians who see patients in more than 20 locations, including the Worcester Medical Center. Fallon Clinic accepts a broad range of insurance coverage, including plans from all major Massachusetts’ payers. More information about Fallon Clinic can be found by visiting http://www.fallonclinic.org/.
About Ladlas Prince
Ladlas Prince helps organizations reengineer, rethink and remodel the way they do business by thinking for the people & technology i.e. using its international & local business skills and experience for the betterment of business relationship between technology, information security, business strategies, processes and people. With Ladlas Prince’s established consortium of international partnerships, services are provided on-site, enabling us to apply our complete range of experience, excellent value, high productivity and consistent quality.
About Southwest Airline
What began as a small Texas airline has grown to become one of the largest airlines in America. Today, Southwest Airlines flies over 104 million passengers a year to 64 great cities all across the country, and we do it more than 3,400 times a day. With over 500 aircraft, Southwest has one of the youngest fleets in the nation, with an average age of approximately nine years.
About UPMC
UPMC is an integrated global health enterprise and one of the leading nonprofit health systems in the United States serving the health needs of more than 4 million people each year. Through redefined models of health care delivery, technological innovation, and cutting-edge medical research, UPMC is improving lives in western Pennsylvania and beyond.
About BASF Corporation
BASF is the world's leading chemical company with about 97,000 employees, six Verbund sites and close to 330 production sites worldwide it serve customers and partners in almost all countries of the world.
Army Reserve and UPMC Join in Employer Partnership
Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief, Army Reserve (left) and G. Nicholas Beckwith, III, chairman of the board, UPMC (right) sign the official Employer Partnership Initiative agreement partnering the two organizations at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.Innovative Public-Private Venture Builds Careers and Economy
PITTSBURGH – Yesterday the U.S. Army Reserve and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) joined together in an effort designed to strengthen the community, support Army Reserve Soldiers and their Families, and maintain a strong economy. This effort is part of the Army Reserve’s groundbreaking Employer Partnership Initiative.
From this public-private employment partnership, both organizations will be able to recruit, train and employ talented Army Reserve Soldiers looking to serve both their nation and their community.
“I am pleased to have UPMC become a valued member of our Employer Partnership Initiative year after launching this ground-breaking enterprise,” said Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief, Army Reserve. “Our alliance with UPMC is a natural since health care is one of our core capabilities. I look forward to working closely with an industry leader like UPMC to develop our greatest shared asset, our people."
Through the EPI, the Army Reserve is partnering with business leaders such as UPMC to develop staffing solutions to meet America’s industry demands, tackle the issue of workforce preparedness, and reinvigorate America’s human talent to remain competitive in the global economy.
“We are honored to be a part of this historic partnership,” said G. Nicholas Beckwith, III, chairman of the board, UPMC. “The Army Reserve employs some of the most dedicated and talented professionals in the country, and we are eager to utilize their unique knowledge and skills.”
The EPI establishes a process whereby employers and the Army Reserve secure and share the talents of trained professionals. Partners Employers will benefit from the employment of men and women with Army values, experience and proven leadership skills.
Since its inception in April 2008, more than 260 public and private employers have joined the initiative, including Fortune 500 corporations, hospitals, industry associations, state agencies and local police departments.
The Army Reserve provides nearly 60 percent of the Army’s medical capabilities. These Soldiers bring their valuable training and experience from the Army Reserve into the civilian workforce. Correspondingly, they bring their valuable civilian training and skills to battlefield and other Army missions.
Keys to Interview Success
Here are a few keys to interview success that could help reduce your chances of being rejected by a potential employer. Before you go into an interview, maximize your knowledge about:
- The company
- Your skill set
- The abilities needed for the job
Use This Online Tool to Determine Veterans' Preference
Determine if you qualify for Veterans’ Preference by visiting the Department of Labor Web site and using the Veterans Preference Advisor online tool.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) administers entitlement to Veterans’ Preference in Federal employment under title 5, United States Code, and oversees other statutory employment requirements in title 5 and 38.
However, the veterans’ preference laws do not guarantee veterans a job, nor do they give veterans preference in internal agency actions such as promotion, transfer, reassignment and reinstatement.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) administers entitlement to Veterans’ Preference in Federal employment under title 5, United States Code, and oversees other statutory employment requirements in title 5 and 38.
However, the veterans’ preference laws do not guarantee veterans a job, nor do they give veterans preference in internal agency actions such as promotion, transfer, reassignment and reinstatement.
Take Advantage of Veterans' Preference
Since the time of the Civil War, Veterans of the Armed Forces have been given some degree of preference in appointments to Federal jobs. Recognizing that sacrifices are made by those serving in the Armed Forces, Congress enacted laws to prevent veterans seeking Federal employment from being penalized because of the time spent in military service.
By law, veterans who are disabled or who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during certain specified time periods or in military campaigns are entitled to preference over non-veterans both in hiring from competitive lists of eligibles and in retention during reductions in force.
Preference does not have as its goal the placement of a veteran in every vacant Federal job; this would be incompatible with the merit principle of public employment. Nor does it apply to promotions or other in-service actions. However, preference does provide a uniform method by which special consideration is given to qualified veterans seeking Federal employment.
Preference applies in hiring from civil service examinations, for most excepted service jobs, and when agencies make temporary appointments or use delegated examining authorities from the U. S. Office of Personnel Management.
General Requirements for Preference
To be entitled to preference, a veteran must meet the eligibility requirements in section 2108 of title 5, United States Code. This means that:
- An honorable or general discharge is necessary.
- Military retirees at the rank of major, lieutenant commander, or higher are not eligible for preference unless they are disabled veterans.
- Guard and Reserve active duty for training purposes does not qualify for preference.
- When applying for Federal jobs, eligible veterans should claim preference on their application or resume. Applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete form SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference. The SF-15 is available online at: http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf .
TYPES OF PREFERENCE
5-Point Preference
Five points are added to the passing examination score of a veteran who served:
- During the period December 7, 1941, to July 1, 1955; or
- For more than 180 consecutive days, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976; or
- For more than 180 consecutive days, any part of which occurred during the period beginning September 11, 2001, and ending on the date prescribed by Presidential proclamation or by law as the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom; or- During the Gulf War from August 2, 1990 through January 2, 1992; or
- In a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized, including El Salvador, Grenada, Haiti, Lebanon, Panama, Somalia, Southwest Asia, Bosnia, and the Global War on Terrorism.
- Medal holders and Gulf War veterans who enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered on active duty on or after October 14, 1982, must have served continuously for 24 months or the full period called or ordered to active duty. The service requirement does not apply to veterans with compensable service
-connected disabilities, or to veterans separated for disability in the line of duty, or for hardship.
10-Point Preference
Ten points are added to the passing examination score of:
- A veteran who served any time and who (1) has a present service
-connected disability or (2) is receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or pension from the military or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Individuals who received a Purple Heart qualify as disabled veterans.
- An unmarried spouse of certain deceased veterans, a spouse of a veteran unable to work because of a service-connected disability, and
- a mother of a veteran who died in service or who is permanently and totally disabled.
PREFERENCE IN EXAMINATION
Veterans meeting the criteria for preference and who are found eligible (achieve a score of 70 or higher either by a written examination or an evaluation of their experience and education) have 5 or 10 points added to their numerical ratings depending on the nature of their preference.
For scientific and professional positions in grade GS-9 or higher, names of all eligibles are listed in order of ratings, augmented by veteran preference, if any.
For all other positions, the names of 10-point preference eligibles who have a compensable, service-connected disability of 10 percent or more are placed ahead of the names of all other eligibles on a given register.
The names of other 10-point preference eligibles, 5-point preference eligibles, and non-veterans are listed in order of their numerical ratings.
Entitlement to veterans' preference does not guarantee a job. There are many ways an agency can fill a vacancy other than by appointment from a list of eligibles.
FILING APPLICATIONS AFTER EXAMINATIONS HAVE CLOSED
A 10-point preference eligible may file an application at any time for any positions for which a non-temporary appointment has been made from a competitive list of eligibles within the past 3 years.
In addition, a person who is unable to file for an open competitive examination because of military service may file after the closing date. In either of the above situations, the veteran should contact the agency that announced the position for further information.
POSITIONS FOR PREFERENCE ELIGIBLES ONLY
Certain examinations are open only to preference eligibles as long as such applicants are available. These are custodian, guard, elevator operator and messenger.
SPECIAL COMPLAINT PROCEDURES FOR VETERANS
Veterans who believe that they have not been accorded the preference to which they are entitled may file a complaint with the U. S. Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS).
The Department of Labor's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy and Veterans' Employment and Training Service developed an "expert system" to help veterans receive the preferences to which they are entitled.
Two versions of this system are currently available, both of which, help the veterans determine the type of preference to which they are entitled, the benefits associated with the preference and the steps necessary to file a complaint due to the failure of a Federal Agency to provide those benefits. The Internet address for the veterans' preference program is http://www.dol.gov/elaws/vetspref.htm. (State Employment Service Offices have veteran representatives available to assist veterans in gaining access to this information.)
DISABLED VETERANS AND OTHER VETERAN OPPORTUNITIES
Any disabled veteran can contact the Department of Veterans Affairs, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Offices for information on veterans' benefits and related employment services. Certain veterans may also be considered under special hiring programs for disabled veterans with disability ratings of 30% or more or Vietnam Era Veteran Readjustment Act opportunities. Federal agencies have the authority, by law, to give noncompetitive appointments to any veteran who has a service-connected disability of 30% or more. Like the VRA, this authority is discretionary with the agency.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
To be eligible, you must be a disabled veteran who has a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. The disability must be officially documented by the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs.
GRADE LEVEL OF JOBS THAT CAN BE FILLED
This authority covers all grade levels and occupations.
REASONABLE WORKPLACE ACCOMMODATIONS
Sometimes it may be necessary or advisable for Federal hiring officials to make "a reasonable workplace accommodation," if requested, in either the duties of the job, or where and how job tasks are performed.
The Department of Defense (DoD) established Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) to eliminate employment barriers for employees with disabilities. CAP serves as the government's centrally funded program to provide assistive technology and services free of charge to Federal agencies that have a partnership agreement with CAP. CAP provides accommodations to individuals who are blind, have low vision, are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a dexterity, communication, cognitive, or learning disability.
Examples of workplace reasonable accommodation include:
- Providing interpreters, readers, or other personal assistance.
- Modifying job duties.
- Restructuring work sites.
- Providing flexible work schedules or work sites.
- Obtaining accessible technology or other workplace adaptive equipment.
- Such forms of accommodation make it easier to successfully perform the duties of the position. - CAP supports Federal employees throughout the employment lifecycle, including; recruitment, placement, promotion, and retention of people with disabilities.
In an effort to make the Federal government a model employer for people with disabilities, it is important that you contact CAP to work together to provide real solutions for real needs.
Additional information on Veterans' Preference is located at http://www.opm.gov/veterans/index.asp
By law, veterans who are disabled or who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during certain specified time periods or in military campaigns are entitled to preference over non-veterans both in hiring from competitive lists of eligibles and in retention during reductions in force.
Preference does not have as its goal the placement of a veteran in every vacant Federal job; this would be incompatible with the merit principle of public employment. Nor does it apply to promotions or other in-service actions. However, preference does provide a uniform method by which special consideration is given to qualified veterans seeking Federal employment.
Preference applies in hiring from civil service examinations, for most excepted service jobs, and when agencies make temporary appointments or use delegated examining authorities from the U. S. Office of Personnel Management.
General Requirements for Preference
To be entitled to preference, a veteran must meet the eligibility requirements in section 2108 of title 5, United States Code. This means that:
- An honorable or general discharge is necessary.
- Military retirees at the rank of major, lieutenant commander, or higher are not eligible for preference unless they are disabled veterans.
- Guard and Reserve active duty for training purposes does not qualify for preference.
- When applying for Federal jobs, eligible veterans should claim preference on their application or resume. Applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete form SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference. The SF-15 is available online at: http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf .
TYPES OF PREFERENCE
5-Point Preference
Five points are added to the passing examination score of a veteran who served:
- During the period December 7, 1941, to July 1, 1955; or
- For more than 180 consecutive days, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976; or
- For more than 180 consecutive days, any part of which occurred during the period beginning September 11, 2001, and ending on the date prescribed by Presidential proclamation or by law as the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom; or- During the Gulf War from August 2, 1990 through January 2, 1992; or
- In a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized, including El Salvador, Grenada, Haiti, Lebanon, Panama, Somalia, Southwest Asia, Bosnia, and the Global War on Terrorism.
- Medal holders and Gulf War veterans who enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered on active duty on or after October 14, 1982, must have served continuously for 24 months or the full period called or ordered to active duty. The service requirement does not apply to veterans with compensable service
-connected disabilities, or to veterans separated for disability in the line of duty, or for hardship.
10-Point Preference
Ten points are added to the passing examination score of:
- A veteran who served any time and who (1) has a present service
-connected disability or (2) is receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or pension from the military or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Individuals who received a Purple Heart qualify as disabled veterans.
- An unmarried spouse of certain deceased veterans, a spouse of a veteran unable to work because of a service-connected disability, and
- a mother of a veteran who died in service or who is permanently and totally disabled.
PREFERENCE IN EXAMINATION
Veterans meeting the criteria for preference and who are found eligible (achieve a score of 70 or higher either by a written examination or an evaluation of their experience and education) have 5 or 10 points added to their numerical ratings depending on the nature of their preference.
For scientific and professional positions in grade GS-9 or higher, names of all eligibles are listed in order of ratings, augmented by veteran preference, if any.
For all other positions, the names of 10-point preference eligibles who have a compensable, service-connected disability of 10 percent or more are placed ahead of the names of all other eligibles on a given register.
The names of other 10-point preference eligibles, 5-point preference eligibles, and non-veterans are listed in order of their numerical ratings.
Entitlement to veterans' preference does not guarantee a job. There are many ways an agency can fill a vacancy other than by appointment from a list of eligibles.
FILING APPLICATIONS AFTER EXAMINATIONS HAVE CLOSED
A 10-point preference eligible may file an application at any time for any positions for which a non-temporary appointment has been made from a competitive list of eligibles within the past 3 years.
In addition, a person who is unable to file for an open competitive examination because of military service may file after the closing date. In either of the above situations, the veteran should contact the agency that announced the position for further information.
POSITIONS FOR PREFERENCE ELIGIBLES ONLY
Certain examinations are open only to preference eligibles as long as such applicants are available. These are custodian, guard, elevator operator and messenger.
SPECIAL COMPLAINT PROCEDURES FOR VETERANS
Veterans who believe that they have not been accorded the preference to which they are entitled may file a complaint with the U. S. Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS).
The Department of Labor's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy and Veterans' Employment and Training Service developed an "expert system" to help veterans receive the preferences to which they are entitled.
Two versions of this system are currently available, both of which, help the veterans determine the type of preference to which they are entitled, the benefits associated with the preference and the steps necessary to file a complaint due to the failure of a Federal Agency to provide those benefits. The Internet address for the veterans' preference program is http://www.dol.gov/elaws/vetspref.htm. (State Employment Service Offices have veteran representatives available to assist veterans in gaining access to this information.)
DISABLED VETERANS AND OTHER VETERAN OPPORTUNITIES
Any disabled veteran can contact the Department of Veterans Affairs, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Offices for information on veterans' benefits and related employment services. Certain veterans may also be considered under special hiring programs for disabled veterans with disability ratings of 30% or more or Vietnam Era Veteran Readjustment Act opportunities. Federal agencies have the authority, by law, to give noncompetitive appointments to any veteran who has a service-connected disability of 30% or more. Like the VRA, this authority is discretionary with the agency.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
To be eligible, you must be a disabled veteran who has a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. The disability must be officially documented by the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs.
GRADE LEVEL OF JOBS THAT CAN BE FILLED
This authority covers all grade levels and occupations.
REASONABLE WORKPLACE ACCOMMODATIONS
Sometimes it may be necessary or advisable for Federal hiring officials to make "a reasonable workplace accommodation," if requested, in either the duties of the job, or where and how job tasks are performed.
The Department of Defense (DoD) established Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) to eliminate employment barriers for employees with disabilities. CAP serves as the government's centrally funded program to provide assistive technology and services free of charge to Federal agencies that have a partnership agreement with CAP. CAP provides accommodations to individuals who are blind, have low vision, are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a dexterity, communication, cognitive, or learning disability.
Examples of workplace reasonable accommodation include:
- Providing interpreters, readers, or other personal assistance.
- Modifying job duties.
- Restructuring work sites.
- Providing flexible work schedules or work sites.
- Obtaining accessible technology or other workplace adaptive equipment.
- Such forms of accommodation make it easier to successfully perform the duties of the position. - CAP supports Federal employees throughout the employment lifecycle, including; recruitment, placement, promotion, and retention of people with disabilities.
In an effort to make the Federal government a model employer for people with disabilities, it is important that you contact CAP to work together to provide real solutions for real needs.
Additional information on Veterans' Preference is located at http://www.opm.gov/veterans/index.asp
Easter Seals New Hampshire Partners with U.S. Army Reserve
Col. Stephen Falcone, commander of the 655th Regional Support Group gives Larry Gammon, CEO and president of the New Hampshire Easter Seals a copy of the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative agreement signed by Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz.MANCHESTER, N.H.— The U.S. Army Reserve launched a groundbreaking public-private partnership with the New Hampshire East Seals Tuesday.
“The United States Army Reserve works tirelessly to provide qualified, tested, skilled and ready Soldiers to support crucial national initiatives in times of both peace and war,” said Col. Stephen Falcone, commander of the 655th Regional Support Group and representatives for the U.S. Army Reserve and Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. “Reserve members are well trained in a variety of skills critical to maintaining not only the strength and agility of the United States Army, but also the many industries and public agencies that form the backbone of the American economy.”
Easter Seals New Hampshire Veterans Count Club Board of Directors also attended the ceremony to celebrate the beginning the partnership which ties into their mission.
The club finds solutions to health and social service gaps that exist for veterans and their families throughout New Hampshire by connecting them to community-based support, family support sessions, direct services including medical and vocational services and an emergency spending fund.
Since Easter Seals launched Veterans Count in 2006, more than 600 veterans and their families have been served. Easter Seals Care Coordinators are currently managing more than 350 individual cases pre-deployment, deployment and upon returning home.
“Easter Seals New Hampshire employs, or seeks to employ, members of the Army Reserve and maintains a deep commitment to hiring and supporting the brave men and women who protect and defend America,” said Larry Gammon, president of Easter Seals New Hampshire and CEO. “These Warrior-Citizens have a well-earned reputation as exemplary employees with proven leadership, teamwork, discipline and grace under pressure that are immeasurably valuable to Easter Seals.”
Employer Partners make an impact for disabled veterans
By Olivia Cobiskey
Director of Marketing - Media
Director of Marketing - Media
Employer Partnership Initiative
QUANTICO, Va. - The buzz of hopeful and excited voices permeated the air at the Clubs at Quantico Tuesday. Nearly 250 people filled the room two hours into the five-hour career fair sponsored by Marine For Life, Wounded Warrior Regiment, and Marine Corps Community Services.
The first hour was dedicated to wounded warriors and Purple Heart recipients.
Denyse S. Gordon, Diversity and Disabled Veteran Recruiter for CACI/Recruiting Operations said CACI International, is committed to empowering disabled veterans.
"In 2007, the CEO said we really need to start giving back," said Gordon, who was a information manager = AFSC 3A071 in the Air Force. "He understood how talented veterans are - hardworking, adaptive, and highly skilled – he know that veterans would be an ideal resource."
As part of that commitment the company launched its Deploying Talent, Creating Careers program in August to recruit more qualified and provide meaningful careers for talented veterans with disabilities. A year later, it partnered with the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative to expand that goal.
More than 40,000 wounded and disabled U.S. veterans have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a report by Department of Veterans' Affairs in October 2008.
As a member of the Air Force Reserves Gordon understands personally what a rich resource wounded warriors can be.
"Disabled veterans can take everything they’ve learned and build a new and meaningful career with CACI," said Gordon.
Another Employer Partner, CSC, focused on military spouses.
“The reason our company does this is to show support for the department of defense,” said Andrea Hall, the CSC/ASEP liaison.
Hall said CSC has a network of 33 companies that share resumes to help find military spouses employment. The Department of Defense is CSC’s largest clients and it also is partnered with Employment Readiness Program Managers (ERPM) on Army bases across the United States. Together these programs offer resume and interview coaching, job alerts, and career events to help spouses find jobs when the service member is relocated, Hall said.
Who’s hiring
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the economy lost 63,000 jobs in February. However, there was none of that doom and gloom at the career fair, employers had positions to fill. In fact, half a dozen employers, who wanted to attend the job fair were turned down because there just want enough room at the club, Michael Brinkley, employment coordinator for the Wounded Warrior Regiment, one of the event's sponsors.
EG&G Division was looking for a broad range of experience.
“We do everything from operations to maintenance to engineers who develop weapons systems,” said Tonia Burton-Bouchard, Recruiter for Engineering and Technology Services with EG&G. “There are a broad range of jobs but not everything is locally.”
Burton-Bouchard said candidates would have more options if they are willing to relocate.
“That’s always a challenge trying to find something they want in a location that they want,” she added.
Lockheed Martin, another Employer Partner, was looking for subcontract administrators and information technology professionals, said Damian Herring, the subcontract program manager.
Like CACI, Martin launched the Seamless Transition Apprenticeship Program for veterans in 2006. The apprenticeship program provides a combination of mentoring, on-the-job learning, and classroom instruction in areas such as financial management, project management, and business law.
Like many of the Employer Partners Lockheed Martin has more than 30,000 employees with prior military service. Veterans possess key knowledge of Department of Defense systems and the required skills to meet the critical needs of Lockheed Martin’s customers, said Herring a STAP participant.
“I retired on a Friday and started work on a Monday,” said Herring, who helped stand up the Wounded Warrior Program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2007. “Being a Soldier myself, I can relate to the challenge and help them translate it into a positive, skill set and job.”
Measuring success
Members of the Wounded Warrior Regiment, one of the event’s sponsors, was excited by the companies eagerness to hire disabled veterans.
"Many of our employers have initiatives of their own to hire disabled veterans," Michael Brinkley, employment coordinator for the Wounded Warrior Regiment.
The Regiment plans to maximize on those initiatives.
"That’s important to us and our mission at the Wounded Warrior Regiment, to take care of these Marines at each stage of their recovery," said Marine Capt. Leticia Reyes, spokesperson for the regiment. "This is our chance to take care of our Marines and capitalize on what these organizations offer our wounded, ill, and injured."
However, ultimately the success of the event will be determined by how many attendees find jobs, said Brinkley. He’d like to see five to 10 percent of Tuesday’s job seekers employed by the 65 companies that attend the career fair.
U.S. Army Reserve and Three Austin Employers Launch Partnership
In the front (left to right)Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder; Jim Sylvester, chief deputy Travis County Sheriff's Office; Lee Leffingwell member of the Austin City Council; Allen Bergeron; (rear) Bruce Cummings, president, Gila Corperation, James Rebholz; Maj. Gen. Keith Lee Thurgood, commanding general Army and Air Force Exchange Service; Olin Brewster; Maj. Mark Sawa, human resource manger Sheriff’s Office; and Sgt. Maj. Nelson Ildefonso, vice president of operations, Employer Partnership Initiative.AUSTIN, Texas - The U.S. Army Reserve, Austin City and two local employers agreed to work collaboratively to develop long-term staffing solutions for America's Soldiers and veterans Friday.
"I am proud the City of Austin will participate in the Employer Partnership Initiative," said Lee Leffingwell, a member of the Austin City Council. "Through our new 'Veterans Preference' program, we are working to ensure that qualified veterans interview for positions available at the city. The initiative will help us locate some of the best and brightest applicants for these jobs based on the experiences and skills developed during military service."
Leffingwell said the city government knows the kind of skills service members bring to work – 1,400 of its 12,000 employees are veterans. It also understands the stress employers and families experience when those Citizen-Soldiers deploy - 23 of the areas 270 active Army Reserve and National Guard units are currently deployed.
Regardless the city, one of eight Texas employers presented with a Pro Patria Award by the Texas Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) in 2008, and its committed to the service members and families is not unwavering, Leffingwell said.
Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder, deputy chief, U.S. Army Reserve, credited ESGR’s relationship with the city for Friday’s success.
"The Employer Parnters signed in Austin were the direct result of our friends in the Texas ESGR promoting the program," said Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder, who attended the signing. "I'd especially like to thank all the Texas ESGR valunteers for their spirit."
The Travis County Sheriff's Office and Gila Corporation also signed agreements.
Chief Deputy Jim Sylvester said with 66 of its 1,600 employees either Army Reserve or National Guard the department already understands the unique sacrifice Guard and Reserve members make to serve their country. However, the department appreciates the benefit of employing men and women with Army values, experience and proven leadership skills.
Currently it has openings for both officers and nurses.
Founded in 1991 the Gila Corporation as hired 160 new employees in the last year. The company, which outsources collections, payment processing and call center services to governmental entities, financial and higher education institutions nationwide, is looking for IT personal, client service managers, and bilingual account managers.
The Army Reserve’s Employer Partnership Initiative (EPI), allows these companies and the Austin City to recruit, train and employ individuals interested in serving the nation while pursuing diverse careers in government and private enterprise. Since April 2008, more than 200 of our nation’s leading employers have partnered with the Army Reserve on this initiative, including corporations, industry associations, state agencies and local law enforcement.
Career Fair
By Olivia Cobiskey
Director of Marketing - Media
Employer Partnership Initiative
Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. - Hoping to help service members in this foundering economy, Marine For Life and the Employer Partnership Initiative are joining forces at a Career Fair in Quantico, Va.
More than 65 companies, including seven Employer Partners, will attend the Quantico Career Fair at 3017 Russell Rd., Tue., March 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The event is sponsored by Marine For Life.
Kenneth Reese, a staffing manager for EG&G Division, a division of URS Corporation and Employer Partner, said his company hires veterans for a lot of reasons.
“Leadership – during their enlistment 17 to 24 year old Soldiers are given a lot of responsibility. They are team players, they know how to work on a team,” said Reese, a retired 1st Sgt. “They’ve lived the Army motto, ‘Work to standard not to time.’”
Another employer Steve Folan, vice president of Temple Inland, Inc., agreed military experience and training produces workers that posses integrity, a strong work ethic with the ability to think and perform under pressure.
"Marines readily accept responsibility and understand the importance of team work, of attention to detail, of training and to trust but verify. Marines are trained to lead and coach," said Folan, a retired Marine. "Many of the Marines we have hired have earned assignments of greater responsibility because of their ability to develop their crews so as to consistently achieve exceptional results."
It's also about trust, added Reese.
Of URS Corporation’s three divisions, the EG&G Division as a contractor for the U.S. federal government, including the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, hires the most veterans.
Reese said hiring individuals who already have security clearances help comply with the departments security needs.
Currently EG&G has several hundred jobs to fill in the engineering, administration, logistics and aviation and ground maintenance field.
All transitioning active duty members, veterans, Reserve Soldiers, National Guard, spouses, and Department of Defense employees are invited to attend Tuesday’s career fair.
Possible Military Occupational Skills that match EG&G needs:
Electrical-Electronic Engineering Assistant = 01B (Army – Enlisted)
General Engineering Supervisor = 21X (Army – Enlisted)
Administrative Specialist = 71L (Army – Enlisted)
Aviation Logistics = 15D (Army Commissioned Officer)
Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (AlandT) Contracting NCO = 51C (Army – Enlisted)
Ground Surveillance Systems Operator = 96H (Army – Enlisted)
Tips for the Career Fair
When you arrive, stop at the registration desk and pick up a copy of the exhibitor’s list.
Be sure to visit every employer’ booth. You never know what positions might be available. Plus, networking is key when conducting a career search. You may meet someone who could lead you to a new opportunity you may not have considered.
Show up at the door with at least 12 copies of your resume, but if a recruiter asks you to e-mail your resume to his/her company, don’t feel you are being brushed off. Some companies require their recruiters to direct job seekers to their sites to obtain HR information as required by law and to direct desirable job seekers to different departments -- a good reason for you to network for unlisted open jobs!
Don’t stand in a long line for one of your “A list” companies if the recruiters at a “B list” booth don’t look busy – - even if the event is in its last hour. Take advantage of the opportunity to tell your complete story to the “B” recruiters. It might be the practice you need to really “Wow” one of your “A list” companies and get the career you’ve always wanted.
Employer Partners attending:
CACI International, Inc.
CSC (Computer Sciences Corporation)
CSX Transportation
EG&G Division of URS
Kelly Services
L-3 Communication
Lockheed Martin
For more information contact ARCareers@usar.army.mil or visit the Quantico Web site http://www.quantico.usmc-mccs.org/
The State of Colorado and 11 Employers Launch Public-Private Partnerships
Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative Builds Careers, Economy
Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder, deputy chief, U.S. Army Reserve and Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter sign an agreement that solidifies the state and Army Reserve Employer Partnership at an official ceremony in Denver, Colo. photo by Jack Dempsey
DENVER - Today the U.S. Army Reserve launched a groundbreaking public-private partnership with the state of Colorado. The first state partnership, both parties agree the union will allow each to mutually recruit, train and employ individuals interested in serving the nation and pursuing a career in the state of Colorado.
"It is my pleasure to add Colorado to the list of employers who will proactively seek to hire and retain Army Reserve Soldiers when they return home," said Gov. Bill Ritter. "This partnership with the Army Reserve expands the opportunities for the men and women who have made great sacrifices on our behalf. It is one more step towards attempting to repay the debt we owe our brave troops and veterans."
There are 110 Army Reserve units in Colorado that employ 408 Soldiers and civilians full-time and 2,813 Reserve Soldiers. Nearly 610 Colorado Reserve Soldiers are currently deployed.
The Army Reserve also signed agreements with 11 Denver employers including Adecco, BC Services, City of Denver, CICSCO, Front Range Airport, Loomis, NorthGlenn Dodge, Pennica Financial Group, Pepsi Bottling Group and Western Freightways, to work collaboratively to enhance job opportunities for America's Soldiers and veterans. The alliances, launched under the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative (EPI) will help strengthen the community, support Army Reserve Soldiers and their Families, and maintain a strong economy.
"I am pleased to officially begin an enduring strategic partnership with so many of Denver's leading employers and the State of Colorado," said Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder, deputy chief, U.S. Army Reserve. "I look forward to collaborating with our newest valued partners to achieve mutual goals to attract, develop and retain a quality workforce."
The EPI establishes a process whereby employers and the Army Reserve secure and share the talents of trained professionals. Partners Employers will benefit from the employment of the roughly 204,000 trained men and women with Army values, experience and proven leadership skills.
Since its inception in April 2008, more than 225 public and private employers have joined the initiative, including Fortune 500 corporations, hospitals, industry associations, state agencies and local police departments.
Watch CBS 4 Denver news clip.
For additional information please visit http://www.armyreserve.army.mil/.
Army Reserve Employer Partnership Unfazed by Flagging Economy
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 20, 2009 – A program that links Army reservists with civilian employers is going strong -- despite record unemployment and gloomy hiring predictions -- as more employers sign on every month so they can hire qualified reservists.
The American Trucking Association and INOVA Health Systems of Northern Virginia broke new ground in April 2008 as the first formal members of the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative. Within six months, 65 employers had joined, and the program hit a milestone in February with its 200th employer partner.
Now Army Reserve officials are laying plans for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to sign on in mid-April at the program’s first anniversary. That ceremony will bring the partnership to almost 300 employers.
“We have a huge success here,” Army Reserve Chief Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz said of the program he introduced to help the Army Reserve and civilian employers share the same talent pool. “We’ve got more than 200 companies that have signed up, and another 200 that want to talk to us,” he said.
The partners run the gamut, Stultz told about 200 reservists during a recent Pentagon town hall meeting. They include Fortune 500 companies like Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and General Electric Company, the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C., mom-and-pop companies and everything in between.
Stultz called the partnership a win-win for everyone involved. Reservists get a leg up in a competitive job market. Employers who understand their military obligations guarantee interviews for qualified reservists, as well as priority placement for openings.
Meanwhile, the employers have a way to tap into a pool of trained, motivated workers. “With the skill sets we have in our force -- medical, law enforcement, transportation, engineering to name a few -- there’s a good demand out there,” Stultz said.
Even in a tight labor market, employers are clamoring for workers trained in these skills. One of the program’s big selling points is that employers can piggyback on training the military already provides.
INOVA Health System, for example, agreed to hire reservists the Army trains in radiology, respiratory therapy and surgical specialties. The arrangement is helping the company fill critical job shortages, while offering career opportunity to Pfc. Jason Black and other Army reservists.
Black, the first reservist INOVA hired through the partnership, is attending the yearlong Army radiology course at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. After he graduates this fall, he’ll start working as a radiology specialist at INOVA. At the same time, he’ll be assigned to the Army Reserve’s 48th Combat Support Hospital at Fort Meade, Md.
Enthusiasm for the employer partnership extends even to industries that have been particularly hard-hit by the financial crisis.
Kenneth Crowley, president and CEO of the Crowley Auto Group in Bristol, Conn., said he’s so impressed with the mechanics, accountants, information technology specialists and administrative staff he’s hired through the program that he’d like to expand it beyond his nine dealerships.
“We’re still involved with the program and will hire good, qualified people, absolutely,” he said. “This downturn in the economy isn’t going to last forever, and before you know it, we will be needing people and we won’t be able to find them.”
Fewer people may be buying new cars, but Crowley said that means they’re maintaining the ones they already have. That, in turn, drives up the demand for qualified mechanics he’s able to hire through the partnership program. “So it’s been a lifesaver to us, actually, because what we are lacking in sales, we are making up in maintenance,” he said.
Crowley’s such a fan of the partnership that he hopes to build on it to benefit the industry as a whole. He’s set up a meeting for early next month so representatives of the Army Reserve and a major auto maker can explore ways to award manufacturer-level diesel-technician certification to qualified Army Reserve mechanics.
This, Crowley said, would short-cut what’s typically a two-year process before mechanics can work on warranty claims and other specialized tasks.
Reservists would benefit from the arrangement, too. “My thought was, if I got the Army to work with the manufacturer, now these guys get trained while they are serving,” Crowley said. “I can hire them right away and start them at a much higher level of pay because they’re already certified.”
Like other partnership members, Crowley said he knows what he’s getting when he hires a reservist. “What makes me like hiring them so much is that they are serious, and they are there to do the job and do it properly and in a spirit of team effort,” he said.
Army Sgt. Maj. Nelson Ildefonso, noncommissioned officer in charge of the partnership program, said reservists have characteristics that make them particularly good employees.“They’re skill-rich, but they’re also good leaders,” Ildefonso said.
“They’re good followers. They’re drug-tested, and a lot of them have security clearances. They’re disciplined. They accept leadership and want to move ahead.“In a nutshell, they’ve got the characteristics that an employer looks for in an employee,” he said. “And that’s why the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative has been such a success.”
But echoing sentiments of many fellow partners, Crowley said another big attraction of the program boils down to good, old-fashioned patriotism.
“Being an employer partner is more than just having access to great employees,” he said. “It is also a way for me to give back and say thank you to individuals who have dedicated themselves to serving our nation.”
Stultz got an indication of the demand for his soldiers, and the partnership’s reach, during a recent visit to Camp Bonsteel, Kosovo. A reservist who used the Employer Partnership Initiative Web site to seek out and apply for jobs told Stultz he’d hit pay dirt -- even while deployed thousands of miles from home.
“He went on the site and got three different job offers,” Stultz told the Pentagon town hall session.
“So his big challenge was deciding which of those offers to accept.”“So it’s working,” Stultz said of the program. “There’s no question about it. We get anecdotal evidence every day.”
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 20, 2009 – A program that links Army reservists with civilian employers is going strong -- despite record unemployment and gloomy hiring predictions -- as more employers sign on every month so they can hire qualified reservists.
The American Trucking Association and INOVA Health Systems of Northern Virginia broke new ground in April 2008 as the first formal members of the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative. Within six months, 65 employers had joined, and the program hit a milestone in February with its 200th employer partner.
Now Army Reserve officials are laying plans for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to sign on in mid-April at the program’s first anniversary. That ceremony will bring the partnership to almost 300 employers.
“We have a huge success here,” Army Reserve Chief Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz said of the program he introduced to help the Army Reserve and civilian employers share the same talent pool. “We’ve got more than 200 companies that have signed up, and another 200 that want to talk to us,” he said.
The partners run the gamut, Stultz told about 200 reservists during a recent Pentagon town hall meeting. They include Fortune 500 companies like Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and General Electric Company, the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C., mom-and-pop companies and everything in between.
Stultz called the partnership a win-win for everyone involved. Reservists get a leg up in a competitive job market. Employers who understand their military obligations guarantee interviews for qualified reservists, as well as priority placement for openings.
Meanwhile, the employers have a way to tap into a pool of trained, motivated workers. “With the skill sets we have in our force -- medical, law enforcement, transportation, engineering to name a few -- there’s a good demand out there,” Stultz said.
Even in a tight labor market, employers are clamoring for workers trained in these skills. One of the program’s big selling points is that employers can piggyback on training the military already provides.
INOVA Health System, for example, agreed to hire reservists the Army trains in radiology, respiratory therapy and surgical specialties. The arrangement is helping the company fill critical job shortages, while offering career opportunity to Pfc. Jason Black and other Army reservists.
Black, the first reservist INOVA hired through the partnership, is attending the yearlong Army radiology course at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. After he graduates this fall, he’ll start working as a radiology specialist at INOVA. At the same time, he’ll be assigned to the Army Reserve’s 48th Combat Support Hospital at Fort Meade, Md.
Enthusiasm for the employer partnership extends even to industries that have been particularly hard-hit by the financial crisis.
Kenneth Crowley, president and CEO of the Crowley Auto Group in Bristol, Conn., said he’s so impressed with the mechanics, accountants, information technology specialists and administrative staff he’s hired through the program that he’d like to expand it beyond his nine dealerships.
“We’re still involved with the program and will hire good, qualified people, absolutely,” he said. “This downturn in the economy isn’t going to last forever, and before you know it, we will be needing people and we won’t be able to find them.”
Fewer people may be buying new cars, but Crowley said that means they’re maintaining the ones they already have. That, in turn, drives up the demand for qualified mechanics he’s able to hire through the partnership program. “So it’s been a lifesaver to us, actually, because what we are lacking in sales, we are making up in maintenance,” he said.
Crowley’s such a fan of the partnership that he hopes to build on it to benefit the industry as a whole. He’s set up a meeting for early next month so representatives of the Army Reserve and a major auto maker can explore ways to award manufacturer-level diesel-technician certification to qualified Army Reserve mechanics.
This, Crowley said, would short-cut what’s typically a two-year process before mechanics can work on warranty claims and other specialized tasks.
Reservists would benefit from the arrangement, too. “My thought was, if I got the Army to work with the manufacturer, now these guys get trained while they are serving,” Crowley said. “I can hire them right away and start them at a much higher level of pay because they’re already certified.”
Like other partnership members, Crowley said he knows what he’s getting when he hires a reservist. “What makes me like hiring them so much is that they are serious, and they are there to do the job and do it properly and in a spirit of team effort,” he said.
Army Sgt. Maj. Nelson Ildefonso, noncommissioned officer in charge of the partnership program, said reservists have characteristics that make them particularly good employees.“They’re skill-rich, but they’re also good leaders,” Ildefonso said.
“They’re good followers. They’re drug-tested, and a lot of them have security clearances. They’re disciplined. They accept leadership and want to move ahead.“In a nutshell, they’ve got the characteristics that an employer looks for in an employee,” he said. “And that’s why the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative has been such a success.”
But echoing sentiments of many fellow partners, Crowley said another big attraction of the program boils down to good, old-fashioned patriotism.
“Being an employer partner is more than just having access to great employees,” he said. “It is also a way for me to give back and say thank you to individuals who have dedicated themselves to serving our nation.”
Stultz got an indication of the demand for his soldiers, and the partnership’s reach, during a recent visit to Camp Bonsteel, Kosovo. A reservist who used the Employer Partnership Initiative Web site to seek out and apply for jobs told Stultz he’d hit pay dirt -- even while deployed thousands of miles from home.
“He went on the site and got three different job offers,” Stultz told the Pentagon town hall session.
“So his big challenge was deciding which of those offers to accept.”“So it’s working,” Stultz said of the program. “There’s no question about it. We get anecdotal evidence every day.”
Center for Energy Workforce Development Partners with U.S. Army Reserve
Brig. Gen. William Waff, deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Human Resources Command and Ralph Izzo, head of CEWD and Chairman, President and CEO of New Jersey based PSEG paused for a moment after signing an agreement in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Center for Energy Workforce Development and the U.S. Army Reserve have agreed to work together to help Reserve Soldiers and returning military personnel pursue careers within the energy industry. The collaboration was made official last week with the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the leaders of the two organizations.
Ralph Izzo, head of CEWD and Chairman, President and CEO of New Jersey-based PSEG, says that the timing of the collaboration is good.
"With older workers retiring and utility work demands multiplying exponentially, opportunities for careers within the energy industry are expanding," Izzo said.
Izzo said coming retirements among high-impact utility positions – including engineers, line workers, plant operators and technicians – are going to place a premium on skilled workers like those in the reserves and those returning from military service overseas.
"We must have skilled workers for those jobs, and we know that military careers produce those workers," he said.
Skilled workers is something the Army Reserve has and can offer employers, said Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, Chief, Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command.
"Even in the current economic situation we still have a lot of employers out there that are calling us every day. What employers are telling us is when they hire a Reserve Soldier, they don't just get an employee, they get somebody that has a great work ethic, that has integrity, that has loyalty, that has dedication, and the productivity goes up," Stultz said. "So it's a win-win situation for both of us now."
Through its Employer Partnership Initiative, the Army Reserve has been working to facilitate strategic and mutually beneficial relationships with employers and associations. Reserve members are well trained in a variety of skills critical to maintaining not only the strength and agility of the United States Army, but also the many industries and public agencies that form the backbone of the American economy.
Here is a list of jobs in the Energy Industry and how each translates into the Military Occupational Skills code.
Lineworkers
Cable Systems Installer-Maintainer = 31L
Prime Power Production Specialist = 21P
Power Plant Operators
Power Generation Equipment Repairer = 52D
Prime Power Production Specialist = 52E
Aircraft Power Plant Repairer = 15B, 15D, 68B, 68D
Technicians
Metal Workers = 44B
Senior Electronics Maintenance Chief = 35Z, 25W
Maintenance Supervisor = 63Z
Mechanical Maintenance Supervisor = 63Z
Maintenance Management = 91 B
Electricians
Electrical-Electronic Engineering Assistant = 01B
Armament/Electrical/Avionics System Repairer = 15X
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse
Power Generation Equipment Repairer = 52D
Electronic Maintenance Chief = 94W
Nuclear Engineering Technician
Chemical Engineering Assistant = 01G
Combat Engineering Senior Sergeant = 12Z
Pipefitters/Pipelayers
Valve and Regulator Repairers
Engineers
Prime Power Production Specialist = 21P
Power Generation Equipment Repairer = 52D
Fuel and Electrical System Repairer = 63G
Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science = 47D
Environmental Engineer = 72E
Dress for Success for Women
You're preparing for an interview with one of the Army Reserve Employer Partners. Consider your attire for the meeting.
The standard job interviewing attire for women is a conservative dark navy or gray skirted wool blend suit. Job experts and employers seem split on the notion of pants suits, so a skirted suit is a safer choice.
Other conservative colors -- such as beige or brown -- are also acceptable. Red is a power color. A blazer with blouse and skirt is a possible second choice to a suit. You should always wear a jacket.
Skirt length should be a little below the knee and never shorter than above the knee -- no night club attire here. Avoid wearing a dress (unless accented with a jacket). Blouses should be cotton or silk and should be white, or some other light color. Shoes should be low-heeled.
Make-up should be minimal, with lipstick and nail polish conservative tones. Pantyhose should be flawless (no runs) and conservative in color. Do not have excessive body odor or cologne.
You should opt for a briefcase rather than a purse.
The standard job interviewing attire for women is a conservative dark navy or gray skirted wool blend suit. Job experts and employers seem split on the notion of pants suits, so a skirted suit is a safer choice.
Other conservative colors -- such as beige or brown -- are also acceptable. Red is a power color. A blazer with blouse and skirt is a possible second choice to a suit. You should always wear a jacket.
Skirt length should be a little below the knee and never shorter than above the knee -- no night club attire here. Avoid wearing a dress (unless accented with a jacket). Blouses should be cotton or silk and should be white, or some other light color. Shoes should be low-heeled.
Make-up should be minimal, with lipstick and nail polish conservative tones. Pantyhose should be flawless (no runs) and conservative in color. Do not have excessive body odor or cologne.
You should opt for a briefcase rather than a purse.
Dress for Success for Men
You've landed an interview with one of the Army Reserve Employer Partners.
What's next? Consider your attire.
The standard job interviewing attire for men is a conservative dark navy or gray two-piece business suit (of natural fibers, such as wool, if possible), a white long-sleeved button-down dress shirt, a conservative silk tie (that matches the colors in your suit), and nicely polished dress shoes.
If you do not own a suit, or the company is a bit more informal, then you should wear a conservative sports coat (no plaids or wild patterns and preferably a dark color), nicely pressed dress slacks, a white long-sleeved button-down shirt, a conservative silk tie, and nicely polished dress shoes.
Your belt should always match your shoes.
If you have a beard or mustache, your facial hair should be neatly trimmed. If you have any visible body parts pierced, most experts recommend removing all jewelry, including earrings. Do not have excessive body odor or cologne.
From QuintCareers.com
What's next? Consider your attire.
The standard job interviewing attire for men is a conservative dark navy or gray two-piece business suit (of natural fibers, such as wool, if possible), a white long-sleeved button-down dress shirt, a conservative silk tie (that matches the colors in your suit), and nicely polished dress shoes.
If you do not own a suit, or the company is a bit more informal, then you should wear a conservative sports coat (no plaids or wild patterns and preferably a dark color), nicely pressed dress slacks, a white long-sleeved button-down shirt, a conservative silk tie, and nicely polished dress shoes.
Your belt should always match your shoes.
If you have a beard or mustache, your facial hair should be neatly trimmed. If you have any visible body parts pierced, most experts recommend removing all jewelry, including earrings. Do not have excessive body odor or cologne.
From QuintCareers.com
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