Army program aims to dispel myths about hiring wounded warriors

By

Leada Gore | lgore@al.com

The Huntsville Times

on November 19, 2012 at 11:49 AM, updated November 19, 2012 at 11:55 AM

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With post-9/11 veterans facing an unemployment rate of more
than 10 percent, a new Army campaign is taking aim at roadblocks many returning
soldiers face as they reenter the workplace.

The Hire a Veteran education campaign, conducted in
conjunction with the Society for Human Resource Management, was unveiled Monday
to address the employment needs of the 16,000 disabled veterans expected to
return to the work force each year for the next 5 years.

The study showed employers had three major concerns when considering
a veteran for a position: concerns about the impact of post-traumatic stress
disorder and traumatic brain injury on job performance; the cost of reasonable
accommodations for the disabled; and lack of knowledge on how military skills
translate to non-military jobs.

?The Army rehabilitated and returned 50 percent of our
wounded, ill and injured soldiers back to the force to continue to serve, and
we are not stopping there,? said Brig. Gen. David Bishop, commander of the
Warrior Transition Command. ?For those who don?t return to service, we are
doing all we can to support their long-term success as veterans. Our ?Hire a
Veteran? campaign aims to reduce anxiety around hiring a veteran and level the
hiring field for our troops.?

The study showed 53 percent of employers didn?t know if
workers with PTSD were more likely to commit acts of workplace violence and 61
percent believed offering accommodations to workers with PTSD or traumatic
brain injuries required more effort and cost for employers.

Employers shouldn?t let these misconceptions prevent them
from hiring a veteran, those involved with the study said.

?You have people coming out of the military that have been
in 20, 30 years and now they have to ask for help and that?s a challenge when
coming from the Army culture. What we?re finding is that if you ask, employers
are saying yes, they will help you,? said Dr. Jeff Pon with Society for Human
Resource Management. ?If the nation puts out returning veterans to work, our
workforce will be much stronger.?

The American with Disabilities Act required employers to
make accommodations for workers with disabilities. However, Army officials said
the study showed most accommodations cost less than $500 and many cost nothing.

Studies from the Institute for Veterans and Military Families
at Syracuse University show most veterans returning to the workforce are
entrepreneurial, adept at transferring military skills to civilian jobs, have
strong team-building skills and often possession advanced technical training.

The Army Warrior Transition Command is a major subordinate
command of the Army?s Medical Command. It provides oversight for the Warrior
Care and Transition Program through its 29 Warrior Transition Units and nine
Community Based Warrior Transition Units. Alabama?s CBWTU ? which also serves
Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee ? is based at Redstone Arsenal.

The transition units provide support and training for
returning workers and their employers. For more go to www.wtc.army.mil/index.html.
To see the Army?s new Hire a Veteran video, go to www.wtc.army.mil/video/hireaveteran.html

Article source: http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/11/army_program_aims_to_dispel_my.html

Source: http://bamabusinessnews.com/army-program-aims-to-dispel-myths-about-hiring-wounded-warriors-2/

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