Alexandria, VA – As part of Warrior Care Month, the Army is unveiling the “Hire a Veteran” education campaign. Research recently conducted by the Society of Human Resource Management revealed three key obstacles impacting veteran employment.
(1.) Concern about the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) on job performance,
(2.) The cost of reasonable accommodations for the disabled, and
(3.) The lack of knowledge on how military skills translate to non-military jobs.
The campaign will debunk these roadblocks, and includes a video and online employer toolkit that can be downloaded at www.WTC.army.mil/employers.
“The Army rehabilitated and returned 50 percent of our wounded, ill and injured soldiers back to the force to continue to serve, and we are not stopping there,” stated Brig. Gen. David J. Bishop, commander of the Warrior Transition Command. “For those who don’t return to service, we are doing all we can to support their long-term success as veterans. Our ‘Hire a Veteran’ campaign aims to reduce anxiety around hiring a Veteran and level the hiring field for our troops.”
Research conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) indicated:
53 percent of survey respondents didn’t know whether workers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely than others to commit acts of workplace violence, and eight percent thought that workers with PTSD are more likely to commit acts of workplace violence.
61 percent of survey respondents believe that accommodating workers with disabilities such as PTSD or traumatic
brain injury (TBI) required more effort on the employer.
14 percent of survey respondents thought it is costly to accommodate workers with disabilities such as PTSD or TBI.
Most respondents (52 percent) didn’t know.
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management. Founded in 1948, SHRM represents more than 250,000 members in over 140 countries. The random membership survey received a 14 percent response rate.
The campaign will debunk these roadblocks, and includes a 10-minute informational video and online employer toolkit that can be found at www.WTC.army.mil/employers.
The Army Warrior Transition Command will host a press conference on Monday, November 19 to discuss the findings and unveil the new resource materials.
WHO: Brig. Gen. David J. Bishop, Warrior Transition Command commander
Jeff Pon, Ph.D., Society of Human Resource Management
Tim Isacco, COO, Orion International
Retired Staff Sgt. Paul Roberts
WHAT: Warrior Care Month, Interview opportunities, Broadcast quality b-roll footage and educational video
WHEN: Monday, November 19, 9:00a.m.
WHERE: National Press Club, 529 14th Street, Washington, DC 20045 / Metro Center metro stop
To view press conference online, register online – http://wirestream.tv/customer/wip/2012/wtc-nov-19/.
RSVP:Liz Deakin (deakin_elizabeth@bah.com, 703-325-0433)
The U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command (WTC) is a major subordinate command under the U.S. Army Medical Command. WTC provides oversight for the Warrior Care and Transition Program that is implemented at the Army’s 29 Warrior Transition Units (WTUs) where more than 10,000 wounded, ill and injured soldiers receive complex medical care for more than six months.
At WTUs each soldier develops a personalized comprehensive transition plan with short- and long-term goals in six domains: physical, social, spiritual, emotional, family and career. Currently, 9.7 percent of WTU soldiers were wounded in combat; however, 87 percent previously served in combat at some point in their Army careers.
To learn more, visit www.WTC.army.mil or follow the event on Twitter at http://twitter.com/armyWTC and #HireAVeteran.