For those making some of the greatest sacrifices since 9/11, many are experiencing a new challenge: unemployment. Over two and a half million Americans have served in the Middle East conflicts, and now that they are home, about 9.7 percent of them are jobless, with thirty percent of vets under the age of 25 currently unemployed. Another million are expected to have transitioned out of the military by 2016.
Katherine Webster, a tech expert from the Bay Area, founded Vets in Tech just for these individuals. Formed in July of 2012, the group already has the backing of individuals well known within the tech industry such as Craigslist ‘s Craig Newmark and companies like HP, Facebook, Intuit and Cisco. Vets in Tech was designed to help veterans get their feet in the door in places such as Silicon Valley.
Chris Galy, director of talent and acquisition for Intuit and a graduate of West Point, told the Bay Area News Group, "We're creating an ecosystem to help them get the skills they need, give them confidence, the ability to speak corporate. We want to do everything possible to make them more employable."
Webster heard about veterans returning and questioned how she could help. While today’s military grew up with technology in the house and trained with it on the job, they sometimes struggle with communicating their qualifications to potential employers. Webster added, “They have all of these other talents. Leadership, discipline, work ethic.”
Growing interest in the group seems to be growing at an exponential pace. Though there is a similar initiative backed by the White House, Vets in Tech is a separate effort. The focus is on “the three E’s”: Education, Entrepreneurship, and Employment. In a Vets In Tech press release, Mayor Ed Lee of San Francisco said, “VetsinTech is a much needed veteran entrepreneurship initiative here in the ‘Innovation Capital of the World,’ combining three of my priorities: jobs, vets, and technology. Returning men and women who have served our country deserve a chance to get the good jobs in our new innovation economy.”
For more information on Vets on Tech: http://www.vetsintech.co
