Monday, November 3, 2014

Governor Hickenlooper Declares November As "Hire A Veteran Month"

Online and face-to-face services to be showcased during the month

Governor John Hickenlooper has issued a proclamation declaring November as “Hire A Veteran Month” and during the next four weeks, the Department of Labor and Employment will be spotlighting the full spectrum of services the agency makes available to veterans.

Workshops and special hiring events will take place statewide (for a full list, see the events calendar at www.colorado.gov/cdle) and information and job connections will be available online at www.hireacoloradovet.gov, the veterans website run by the Department of Labor and Employment.  Veterans can use the website to tap into a jobs database or connect with service providers.  Employers can post jobs at the site and learn about tax credit incentives that are available.

Colorado’s average unemployment rate for veterans (from October 2013 to September 2014) is 7.0 percent, down significantly from earlier years. However, it is still well above the general population’s average unemployment rate of 4.3 percent for the same time period and young veterans of recent conflicts are generally encountering far greater difficulty in finding work than the rest of the population.

Helping veterans find meaningful work that matches their skills and interests is a key goal of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.  During the last program year, the agency provided employment and training services to almost 43,000 veterans.  While many received services online, others opted to receive one-on-one assistance from more than 40 Veterans Employment Specialists at state and county run Workforce Centers across the state.

These Specialists – who are themselves veterans -- provide assistance to veterans in shortening the transition from the military to the civilian workplace, in acquiring skills and planning for the future.  Lee Tibbets is a Veteran Employment Specialist in Denver.  “Veterans have a priority of service in all Workforce Centers for any employment, training and placement services provided by qualified job training programs,” he says.  “I extend an open invitation to Colorado to Colorado veterans to use our online resources or stop in and see one of us.”

The Governor’s Proclamation notes in part that “veterans … have an ability to adapt and learn quickly and they bring the right mind-set, a good attitude, team spirit and personal attributes that all businesses are looking for.  The integration of these highly qualified veterans into the workforce will greatly benefit our State’s businesses.”  Full text of the proclamation is available upon request.

“Our veterans representatives are doing a great job of getting service men and women into good jobs -- and into the training that leads to good jobs,” says Department of Labor and Employment Executive Director Ellen Golombek, “and employers who hire veterans will tell you they have made a real investment in their business with each hire.  We are proud of our long-standing commitment to the men and women of the Armed Forces.  Our approach is veterans helping veterans.”
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