Veterans welcome in workforce

Military veterans looking for employment know they have much to offer in terms of skills, character traits and dedication to their employer, and companies also are aware of the many attributes veterans have to offer.

With Houston having the second largest veteran population in the U.S., over 250,000 veterans are calling this city home. There is also an average of 3,000 new veterans returning to the Houston area each year. The National Center for Veteran Analysis and Statistics (VetPop 2014) estimates that over 253,000 the veteran are living in the region. Women Veterans make up 10 percent of the veteran population.

Companies and agencies are ready to put these veterans to work.

The Catholic Charities Women Veteran Services department assists over 300 women veterans in the Greater Houston area every year, and has the Women Veteran Career Assistance Program (WVCAP) offering 12-week career readiness course and job placement assistance.

The Houston area has jobs for veterans in the energy, law enforcement/security, and defense fields. For women veterans, jobs are often presented in the medical, hospitality, human resources, and administrative fields.

Military bases are operated like small cities. Veterans are trained to excel in any jobs or industry. Companies like the Texas Medical Center have created tools to attract military and veteran talent. One initiative is entitled, Hiring, Red, White & You (www.hiringredwhiteandyou4veterans.com). In addition, most employers offer veterans some preference for open positions and have dedicated websites just for veteran applicants.