Considering the number of returning veterans re-entering the workforce, it may be time for employers to take another look at the skills our returning soldiers have to offer to the American job market. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment for veterans ages, 18 to 24 is at over 21% – more than double the national average.
A recent NPR program reported that one of the problems with veterans finding jobs is that the skills they learned as soldiers do not translate well to civilian life. Dennis P. Rizzo, President/CEO of Bentley Price Associates, a Vietnam veteran who has been involved in the hospitality executive recruiting and placement industry for more than 35 years, has a unique perspective on this situation: returning vets have skills that should be valued by employers.
“My Marine Corps training taught me several disciplines that I still use every day. Those skills that were drilled into me over 40 years ago allowed me to function under the most difficult circumstances, not only during the Da Nang conflict in Vietnam but also during my start-up years trying to make a success of my business in the hospitality executive search field.”
“War and business have so many analogies that when I re-entered the world of the hospitality business, I think I did so without ever leaving the Marines – other than receiving my discharge papers and dressing in a different uniform called a suit and tie,” says Rizzo.
Rizzo believes that the legislation proposed by New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is a step in the right direction. The Hiring Heroes Act of 2011 will provide job-training skills and make the government’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP) mandatory for servicemen and women
The highly competitive job market demands that candidates can perform under pressure, whether they’re going to run a multi-million dollar property, a nightclub, or a restaurant. Rizzo believes that by making adaptations to their existing military training, today’s returning veterans can do just that because they have skills you don’t get anywhere else.