Dive Brief:
- IBM and PNC are teaming up with Corporate America Supports You (CASY) and the National Cyber-Forensics Training Alliance (NCFTA) to expand the Veteran Employment Accelerator program, which will train military veterans in the Pittsburgh, PA, area for careers in tech fields like cybersecurity.
- This is an expansion in Pittsburgh of a nationwide partnership between the four groups. The program is also part of a commitment by IBM to help 2,000 veterans transition to rewarding careers in the tech sector.
- "Veterans have skills that are invaluable in the civilian workplace," said Diane Melley, IBM's Vice President of Global Citizenship Initiatives. The program is designed to take these skills and develop them for complimentary careers in high-growth tech careers.
Dive Insight:
Veteran recruitment is an understated but challenging issue. Several military veterans and other leaders have been active in providing much-needed career direction for this population of U.S. citizens, but persistent obstacles remain.
When HR Dive spoke with U.S. military veterans and active service members about the process of finding work, several expressed the challenges they had with landing jobs once they returned home. One of the common obstacles was being able to effectively translate the skills they had learned in the military into civilian job types.
Without an advocate, this task is obviously difficult. These experiences speak to the rationale behind IBM and PNC's partnership with organizations focused on military veterans. The added benefit of being able to earn a certificate in an area of technology that is in demand should make this effort even more successful.
Other companies can learn from this and develop their own military recruitment programs by working with agencies that understand the unique strengths of our military veterans. Seeing as tech skills are in short supply over the last few months, employers can't afford to neglect talent wherever it may be found.
