Disability, traumatic brain injury, and/or military sexual trauma as a result of
military service post-9/11. “The value of what we are doing as a company has to
do with our reputation bottom line,” shares Kerins. “Veterans and Veteran issues
is a national issue. I believe this is a reputation bottom line, it’s not just about a
financial bottom line. We want to support our veterans, and we want to show it
through our actions.”
“Just as our veterans have served our country, IBM thinks it’s important to serve
our veterans when they come home and help prepare them for new careers,”
states Kelli Jordan, Talent Leader for New Collar Initiatives at IBM. “The men and
women who have served in our country's armed forces have unique talents and
skill sets that make them a natural fit for some of the technology industry's most
exciting fields, like blockchain, cloud, and cybersecurity. Veterans bring a disciplined
work ethic as well as strong collaboration and communications skills acquired
through their military service, all capabilities that IBM values highly.”
IBM offers several initiatives and programs designed to build in-demand
technology skills that are needed to prepare veterans and others for “new collar”
careers – a term coined by IBM’s CEO, Ginni Rometty. New collar positions require
skills, but not necessarily a traditional four-year degree. They can also command
highly-competitive salaries. “As part of our new collar job creation, IBM is honored
to be named the Military Friendly Employer of the Year for 2018 and we are in the
process of hiring 2,000 veterans by 2020 and we’re already 60 percent of the way
there,” states Jordan.
Opportunities for Veterans at IBM include: Military Fellowship program in
Austin and now expanding to Atlanta, in partnership with Fort Hood. The 12-week
long Fellowship program allows transitioning military members a chance to gain
insight and build skills in the careers that they desire to pursue once they leave
the military. IBM also provides a cloud-based job seeker platform that recruiters
use to match open jobs with veteran skills. Through a partnership with Corporate
America Supports You (CASY), 35,000 veterans have been placed into jobs
through use of these tools over the last six years.
IBM’s Veterans Employment Initiative provides software training, certification
and job placement assistance to veterans pursuing careers as data analysts and
other technical professions. “IBM is dedicated and focused on new collar jobs and
creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds because we want to shift
mindsets, make the tech industry more diverse and inclusive, and make a lasting
difference in communities across the country,” shares Jordan.
“BNSF is able to link high-performing and highly capable veterans with
meaningful and challenging careers,” shares Kim Cummings, BNSF Assistant Vice
President Human Resources & Diversity. “We currently employ more than 7,300
military veterans (approximately 18 percent of our workforce). In 2017,
approximately 8 percent of all newly hired employees were men and women who
have served our country in the armed forces. This year alone, we have already
hired more than 1,000 military veterans. We also support reservists, enabling
those men and women to take time off for training and deployment.”
Identified as a top employer for U.S. military veterans and earning the
Department of Defense Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR)
Freedom Award, and the Seven Seals Award, BNSF Railway, one of the largest
railroads in North America, believes veterans- with their teamwork and safety-first
mentality – fit seamlessly into BNSF positions and culture. “Much of the
experience and training that individuals receive while working in the military are
transferrable for positions in the railroad industry,” shares Cummings. “The same
principles that are valued in the military, including safety-mindedness, efficient
performance under diverse work conditions, respect for policy and procedures,
mission focus, teamwork and dedication are integral to the BNSF culture.”
As part of BNSF’s ongoing commitment to Diversity & Inclusion, the company
recently established a business resource group for veterans, reservists and first
responders called ‘BRAVE’ to support all veterans working at BNSF across the
network. The group is made up of veterans, employees, family members and
patriots. The team works to engage communities, build leadership skills of the
group members, and provide ongoing career development support while helping
protect and grow the company’s success.
Also recognized as a “Top Military Friendly Employer” by G.I. Jobs magazine
and “Best of the Best” by U.S. Veterans, BNSF has a webpage dedicated to
helping transitioning military veterans find their career at BNSF.
With a long history of providing career opportunities to veterans as well as active
military members, Amtrak, the national rail operator connecting America in safer,
greener and healthier ways, values the leadership, reliability and dedication that
the armed forces bring to the company.
“Approximately one in five Amtrak employees self-identify as veterans or
active members of the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard and Reserves,” shares
Kimberly Woods, Amtrak spokeswoman. “Amtrak remains focused on
hiring veterans because of the valuable experiences and leadership skills this
segment brings to our national network. Amtrak has been focused on this effort
since 2013 to not only support veterans and active members, but to apply their
unique skillsets to support the mission of America’s Railroad®.”
A wide range of incentives include: support the professional and personal lives
of Amtrak employees; Vacation and holiday time off; 401K and retirement plans
and education assistance are among the many available benefits. Another
benefit is the Amtrak4Veterans employee affinity group, which supports current
and former military members through fellowship, mentoring and community
outreach.
“About 20,000 employees provide customers a hassle-free experience on
trains with wide seats, outlets and plenty of room to move around,” she states.
“Employees ensure customers travel in comfort and reach their destinations safely
and reliably. Employees drive the performance needed to make us the country’s
first intercity travel choice. We’re continuously improving by leveraging the
expertise of the best people in the industry: our employees.”
LS
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