Serving Those Who Serve Us
Over the past year, there has rightly been a strong employer interest and focus on making sure the men and women who serve in the U.S. military have jobs and opportunities when they return home from conflicts or decide to separate from the military.
The Workforce1 Career Centers are – and have always been – focused on making sure we are doing our part locally to make good on this commitment to help veterans and their spouses enter or advance in the workforce as quickly as possible.
I wanted to share a few stats about the NYC veteran population and how we have served them and some plans that are in the works to do even more in the years ahead. If you are a veteran or spouse of a veteran - or have friends and colleagues who are veterans - please share this information. We find there is a wealth of resources for veterans, but sometimes the volume of different resources can be overwhelming, and we find that most resources are focused on supports like education, health and housing and less on employment.
Here is how the Workforce1 Career Center system serves veterans:
- In 2011, over 3,700 veterans came to our Centers and we placed 812 in jobs.
- Any veteran or their spouse who comes to any of our 15 Centers receives a “priority of service,” which means literally that they will advance to the front of the line for any services that they are interested in using.
- Our large Workforce1 Career Centers in Queens, Upper Manhattan, Bronx, and Staten Island have “Veterans Representatives” who are able to assist, counsel, and coach veterans on employment issues.
- Historically, we’ve helped most veterans find jobs in 4 economic sectors: transportation, healthcare, security, and information technology.
- The Center focused on the Industrial & Transportation industries, as well as the Center focused on the Healthcare industry, are well equipped to understand how military service can be translated into jobs in the private sectors in their respective industries.
In 2012, we are looking to expand our services with the help of private foundation support to place more veterans in jobs and also focus on higher paying jobs for veterans.
The GI Bill is a very generous educational package with an associated stipend that helps train and build skills for our veterans. Public university partners like the City University of New York offer veterans student services to make sure that veterans are supported as their pursue their classes and degrees.
We know that word of mouth is critical with our veterans and we welcome feedback in terms of ways to outreach to our NYC veterans.
Thank you.
Angie Kamath
Angie Kamath, who overseesWorkforce1 as the Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development at the NYC Department of Small Business Services, shares her perspective on Workforce1 and the New York City job market in her weekly Jobs in New York City column.
Have a response to Angie’s column? Drop her a note in the comment section below! And, if you found this helpful, please share it with friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and email!
I NEED EMPLOYMENT. I’VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS. I AM A VET SERVED IN THE USMC FROM 1981-85. I’VE WORKED VARIOUS JOBS AND FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER FIND MYSELF UNEMPLOYED. IF I COULD MAKE SOME TYPE OF APPOINTMENT TO SEE SOMEONE I WOULD TRULY BE APPRICIATIVE. Thanks in advance, MALVIN FLORES.
Thank you for reaching out to us and sharing your experience. We’d like to work with you to meet your employment needs. We’ll email you directly to connect you with one of our staff members.
Thank you for the post Angie. It is great to hear the wonderful efforts made by your office to help this group. Do you have anymore detail on the types of jobs veterans are placed in? You mentioned the industries but I would like to learn a little more. I do a lot of training (Microsoft Excel) and wanted to see if I can assist this population as well.
Thanks,
-Othniel
Thanks for your post, Othniel, and the work you are doing. We’ve found that the most common jobs for veterans have been within the industries, like transportation and security, that Angie pointed out in this post. In the past year, we’ve helped the greatest number of veterans find work as security guards, customer service representatives, bus and truck drivers, retail salespersons, cashiers, and in food preparation and services. In addition to the training offered through our Workforce1 Industrial and Transportation Career Center and the Workforce1 Healthcare Career Center, you can visit the New York City Training Guide to learn more about training providers and courses that help prepare veterans and other jobseekers improve their qualifications. Please feel free to contact us again with any other thoughts on how to better reach and serve veterans throughout the City.
Hello, WF1. I was not aware that as large as Brooklyn is, they do not a Veteran Priority division. I’ve been going there for quite some time, but ime and againit’s that I’m over-qualified for the entry level or have too many years in supervisory positions. Still looking for work here and the vet center on Chapel St. DO NOT GIVE UP.
Phillip, thank you for reaching out and providing us with this feedback. Currently, veterans and spouses are offered priority for career services and training opportunities at all of our Workforce1 Career Centers. We’d like to work to provide you with a better experience and address some of your concerns. We’ll reach out directly this week at the email address you provided.
I AM STILL NOT WORKING CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP……