Hire A Hero

Each year, thousands of veterans return to civilian life. Some have jobs waiting for them. Others are looking for new ways to apply the knowledge skills they acquired through their military service. Government programs and private employers are finding ways to make it easier for veterans to move into the workforce.

By Laura French, Star Tribune Sales and Marketing

Last update: November 24, 2008 - 12:02 PM

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For more on the Northstar Aerospace program, contact Kevin Snyder: ksnyder@northstaraerospace.com, or phone: 218-740-2903.

The Minnesota Veterans Licensure and Certification Program helps veterans apply their military experience to civilian credentialing as commercial motor vehicle operators, electricians and plumbers, stationary engineers, emergency medical technicians and more. Visit its website: www.mncertifiedvets.us.

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The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) requires employers to put military veterans back into their civilian jobs under certain conditions. Still, many of the 250,000 veterans who leave the military each year will be looking for employment. They may have served more than the five years covered by USERRA. Their former employers may no longer be in business.

Most important, the skills and abilities veterans gained during their military career may have them looking to trade up to a different or better job than the one they left. The average veteran has spent nearly a quarter of his or her service time in training, according to the Minnesota Certified Veterans website.

Veterans' Real-world Skills

Many of the skills that veterans have learned are in high demand in the civilian world. Among those listed by Minnesota Certified Veterans:

Leadership. Military personnel "understand the practical ways to manage behaviors for results, even in the most trying circumstances."

Teamwork. "Veterans understand how genuine teamwork grows out of a responsibility to one's colleagues."

Diversity and inclusion in action. Veterans have experience in working effectively with people from a range of ethnic, religious and geographic backgrounds.

Efficient performance under pressure. Vete-rans have learned to prioritize, work under pressure and stay with a task until it is done - and done right.

Northstar Aerospace is a Duluth company that values the abilities of veterans. The company is partnering with Lake Superior College and the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry to bring veterans into the precision manufacturing industry. The Hire-a-Veteran Program, scheduled to begin in spring 2009, will provide veterans who have entry-level manufacturing skills with full-time employment and will assure full tuition in one of Lake Superior College's manufacturing-related degree or certificate programs.

Kevin Snyder, vice president of Human Resources for Northstar Aerospace, says the program comes from the realization that his company is facing a shortage of skilled workers. "We anticipate wonderful employees with discipline and technical skills. At the same time, the program is about wanting to give back and say `thank you' to veterans. We feel like it's a win/win."

Laura French is principal of Words Into Action, Inc., and is a freelance writer from Roseville.

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