Pittsburgh coalition aims to boost jobs for veterans

Region’s employers to collect, share data

A new collaboration among major employers in the region including Highmark, PNC Financial Services and the city of Pittsburgh will use hard data to better track recruitment and retention of military veterans and match their skills with appropriate jobs.

The Pittsburgh Veteran Employer Coalition, which was launched Wednesday, says its mission is to collect and share data so that veterans aren’t underemployed by companies that often don’t recognize their talents and capabilities.

“It’s not enough to come together and say how much we love veterans … and tell ourselves we’re doing a good job at hiring,” said Megan Andros, senior program officer at the Heinz Endowments, which is providing $100,000 to fund the coalition.

“This will be the first datadriven attempt ... to move the needle,” she said. “Getting companies to share data is a huge forward step.”

Data that will be shared includes the number of veterans hired, retention rates, education levels, salary ranges, full- or part-time status, residential ZIP codes, length of military service and occupation specialties veterans held in the military.

Though employers are competing for talent in a tight job market, “These guys are putting competition aside,” said Ms. Andros.

“I think they feel a responsibility to help the rest do a better job at attracting and retaining military talent.”

The endowments estimated about 50,000 post-9/11 veterans live in the Pittsburgh region and about 5,200 are added to the total each year.

The coalition — which includes eight local employers and expects to have 60 signed on by the end of the year — is the result of two years of research by the endowments and the Institute for Veteran and Military Families at Syracuse University into why many veterans aren’t utilized to their full work potential.

The coalition cited a 2017 study by the Call of Duty Endowment and Zip Recruiter, which found one-third of veterans seeking jobs were underemployed. That rate is nearly 16% percent higher than for non-veterans seeking jobs, the study said.

Widespread underemployment among veterans can be traced to stereotypes about their physical and mental conditions, said Ms. Andros, as well as unclear government descriptions of their skills when they exit the military.

Ms. Andros knows the problem first-hand.

The West Point graduate served as an ordnance officer in Iraq during the Second Gulf War, overseeing millions of dollars worth of weapons and equipment and commanding more than 100 troops.

But when she left the military with the rank of captain, civilian employers didn’t always understand her experience because they were focused on the equipment management aspect of her job title.

She landed a job as an admissions representative at Cornell University and joined the endowments in 2013 where she specializes in programs for veterans and military families.

Some companies involved in the Pittsburgh coalition have personnel dedicated to recruiting veterans, said Ms. Andros, including Highmark which has been leading discussions at coalition meetings about hiring veterans as part of its diversity efforts.

Besides Highmark, PNC and the city, other coalition members include Oberg Industries, Pitt Ohio, Accenture, FedEx Ground and Giant Eagle.

The Syracuse Institute for Veterans and Military Families and Corporate America Supports You, a nonprofit that assists veterans with job placement, also are members.

Joyce Gannon: jgannon@post-gazette.com or 412263-1580.