Kristina Derro
Veteran Advocate

The wars in Iraqa and Afghanistan have dragged on for over a decade now. Since 2001, the U.S. has sent more than 2.2 million troops to battle, more than 6,600 were killed, and 50,000 were injured. This is a dismal reality of war.

However, the strides that have been made in medicine as a result of the war are astounding. The signature wounds of both conflicts, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), have led the Department of Defense to apportion hundreds of millions of dollars for research studies and treatment.

In the past six years, the Department of Defense has invested a minimum of $2.7 billion in understanding psychological and neurological injuries. $700 million has been apportioned for TBI research which has included an effort to develop a portable diagnostic tool for TBIs. Additional funding has gone towards researching combat wounds that failed to heal, partly attributable to unique bacteria present in Afghanistan.

The VA has its own set of priorities when it comes to researching. The VA is currently faced with rehabilitating veterans who have suffered complex wounds and are considered “polytrauma”, those who have sustained injuries to more than one organ system, or have severe brain injuries, or are amputees, or were severely burned. VA has worked on improving how it coordinates care to this group of veterans. It’s also worked on developing hearing and vision implants as well as robotic prosthetic devices. It even has pioneered its own TBI program which explores different treatment modalities like personalized medicine and nerve regeneration.

There are challenges in coordinating massive research programs and implementing them for our troops and veterans. A January 2012 report by the Government Accountability Office found that the Department of Defense’s mental health and TBI research needed better quality control mechanisms to report financial data. However, despite these limitations, some of the world’s best researchers and massive amounts of money are being utilized in an attempt to assist our nation’s troops and veterans.

A nonprofit is working to connect returning vets with innovative investors and new companies.

A new nonprofit organization based in Milwaukee, with funds from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ innovation initiative, is supporting entrepreneurial vets.

“Veterans often are educated in the most cutting-edge technologies available,” stated veterans disability attorney James Fausone. “And they have the discipline and drive to succeed.”

The nonprofit, VETransfer, is working with current and returning veterans to help them find the funding and the support they need to launch startups ventures. Cofounders Greg Meier and Nick Weichert believe in focusing on getting small business up and running by pairing them with entrepreneurial vets, and by equipping and financing vets with the resources they require to launch their own projects.

VETransfer does not provide companies or startups with the financing they need; they introduce the right clients to the right investors. They also provide free office space and internet access, and the staff helps develop business plans and navigate regulations.

More than 400 vets have gone through the extensive program at VETransfer since 2011, working with everything from game developers to companies that specialize in frozen foods. While the actual jobs are, for now, based in Wisconsin, there are virtual classes that are utilized by vets across the U.S.  The business incubator worked with more than 100 veterans in just the first four months it was running.

Founders Meier and Weichert reportedly are looking at how to expand the program to include more vets; more extensive virtual classes are being considered for areas with concentrated populations of vets, including California, Florida, Washington D.C. and Texas. With current estimates indicating that there will be at least one million vets in theU.S.by 2016, VETransfer is looking for additional funding sources, including grants and donations to help expand their program offerings.

While VETransfer does not and cannot guarantee the success of any venture, the founders are optimistic. So is the VA; based on the success of VETransfer, the VA may be launching another business incubator in the next year via its innovation initiative funding program.

Source

http://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2013/03/05/from-war-veterans-to-entrepreneurs-video/

Jim Fausone
Veteran Advocate

The unemployment problem in the country has been the focus of commentary for the last few years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for female veterans was 8.8% in January 2013, compared to 7.5% for men and 7.7% for female civilians. And with an unemployment rate of about 20% for members of the National Guard and Reserve, they are faring far worse in the job market.

A focused effort to employ our returning military has been mounted with support from the President and every Governor.  However, the statistics are still staggering and the nation must recognize the impact service has on interrupting the employment path for our military men and women.

The resources available are considerable for to military veterans searching for employment.  But the unemployment stats persist. One detailed article on the problem and the resources available can be found at

 http://www.onlinecollege.org/2013/02/21/the-war-home-the-struggle-veterans-find-jobs/

James Fausone
Veterans Disability Lawyer

Unemployment for post-9/11 veterans continues to be at high levels.

The recent numbers confirm what many military unemployment specialists have suspected: unemployment rates for younger vets continues to outpace the numbers for unemployed civilians. Almost one in 10 returned members from Iraqand Afghanistanis unemployed. The latest numbers by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that young male vets are unemployed at 9 percent, up from 7.6 percent in February of 2012.  Young female vets who reported an unemployment rate of 7.4 percent last year now face unemployment at 11.6 percent.

“Vets are returning with marketable skills, yet they continue to have trouble finding employment,” commented Tampa veterans lawyer David W. Magann.

The number of post-9/11 vets who are unemployed is 203,000 as of February of this year. This time last year, that number was 154,000. There is a growing concern that the federal budgets cuts as part of the 2013 sequestration may spike those unemployment numbers even higher.

According to the founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization Iraqand Afghanistan Veterans of America, the sequester is adversely affecting returning vets. More than one-third of the 200,000 members of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America are employed in government jobs – TSA, Homeland Security, and the Pentagon. Also threatened are contract jobs for vets.

One free employment tool available to vets is VetNet, as part of a joint effort by Google and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. VetNet is an employment database as part of the “Hiring Our Heroes” program; an outreach offering job fairs, career services and community. Now in its second year, Hiring Our Heroes has so far held more than 370 hiring fairs and has found employment for 14,100 vets and military spouses.

The media company Comcast announced in March that it along with NBCUniversal met their goal of hiring 1,000 vets, and has now pledged to “Hire our Heroes” to employ 1,000 more vets by 2015.  The vets working for Comcast and NBC Universal are employed in technology, operations, network engineering, programming, theme parks, marketing, customer service, and human resources.

Sources
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/08/17237011-unemployment-among-post-911-veterans-still-running-heavy?lite

http://www.examiner.com/article/hiring-our-heroes-and-google-launch-vetnet-for-transitioning-veterans

Jim Fausone
Veteran Advocate

New program for veterans…Alpena Community College, Schoolcraft Community College have partnered with DTE Energy, Local 223 of the Utility Workers Union of America, Consumers Energy, the Center  for Energy Workforce Development and the Michigan Workforce Intelligence Network to help veterans retrain in a new Natural Gas Boot Camp, a seven-week pilot program that’s preparing Michigan veterans for jobs as maintenance fitter apprentices. For an article on this program, please go to http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/12/4979288/dte-energy-helps-create-natural.html

Jim Fausone
Veteran Advocate

According to a recent Ninth Circuit opinion, it is not a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to fire an employee who repeatedly fails to show up for work.  It’s amazing that such a question would even have to be decided by a Federal Court of Appeals.

In Samper v. Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Plaintiff was a neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse who suffered from fibromyalgia.  Providence Hospital had a very generous attendance policy which allowed five unplanned absences of unlimited duration per year, as well as other permitted absences.  Additionally, because of her condition, Providence worked with the Plaintiff to give her even more flexibility than the standard policy.

The Plaintiff was not satisfied and sought an accommodation that would allow her an unlimited number of unplanned absences from her job – in short, she wanted to come and go as she pleased.  Providence refused and eventually terminated Plaintiff due to her chronic and continued attendance problems.

Plaintiff sued the hospital arguing that the hospital violated the ADA by not offering her reasonable accommodations.  The trial court disagreed and ruled in favor of Providence; the Ninth Circuit affirmed.

The court reasoned that, because of the nature of being a NICU nurse, regular and predictable attendance at work is an essential job function. NICU nurses provide intensive life-saving care to premature infants.  Absences among the NICU staff can jeopardize the care these infants receive.  If the hospital agreed to Plaintiff’s proposed “reasonable” accommodation, Plaintiff would be exempt from an essential job function – showing up to work.

The court stated that an employer does not need to provide accommodations that compromise performance quality – to require this of a hospital could, quite literally, be fatal.

To read the Ninth Circuit’s Opinion, please visit:
http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=4041294764138642946&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr#r[3]

Brig. Gen. Carol Ann Fausone (Ret)
Veteran Advocate

Last week, four of the largest U.S. manufacturers announced their plans to start training military veterans for factory jobs. General Electric Co (GE), Alcoa Inc, Boeing Co and Lockheed-Martin Corp said they will all provide financial support to the “Get Skills to Work Coalition,” which will initially train 15,000 veterans to be hired by the four companies.

The program will get its start in January at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College inOhio, near a major GE Aviation factory, and be rolled out to nine moreU.S. cities over the course of 2013. While the founding four companies already employ a combined 64,000 veterans, there are more jobs out there that need filling. It is estimated that 600,000 manufacturing jobs in the U.S have gone unfilled due to lack of skills training and companies being unable to find workers for high-tech, high-speed factories.

Combine the vacant 600,000 manufacturing jobs with the 1,000,000 oil and gas industry workers nearing retirement and you can see why the “Get Skills to Work Coalition” is a program that is headed nowhere but up.

To learn more or see the original article, please visit: http://news.yahoo.com/manufacturers-unveil-plans-train-veterans-factory-jobs-150357581–sector.html

By Kristina Derro

Veterans Disability Lawyer

It can be difficult for military veterans to find a job even in good economy.  In a down economy, finding a job is even tougher.  For vets returning home from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the unemployment rate is at more than 12%, which is roughly 4% higher than the national average for all workers.  And in some areas, the number is actually much higher.  In New York, for example, the unemployment rate for Afghanistan and Iraq veterans is currently at 16.7%.  And, for younger veterans, those between the ages of 18 and 24, the future seems grim as they face nearly 30% unemployment.

The numbers don’t lie.  More than 234,000 new veterans are now looking for civilian work.

“The idea that our service members could go from the front lines to the unemployment lines is unacceptable”, stated Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA), during a joint hearing of the House Armed Services and House Veterans Affairs committees this past July.  Various administrations are in place to help vets find gainful employment, including the Transition Assistance Program and the VOW to Hire Heroes Act.  But results have been mixed.

Now, an IT training and certification company, Training Camp, is attempting a viral cure for veteran unemployment.  They are currently hosting a viral video contest, featuring unemployed veterans, illustrating why veterans make good hires in the civilian world.  Vet video makers are encouraged to make short videos that are “funny, silly, heartwarming or witty”, according to a spokesperson from Training Camp, to highlight why employers should hire vets.

The contest launched in July and runs through the end of September 2012.  So far, Training Camp says they have 300 contenders for best video; for each video that is submitted, Training Camp donates $25 to the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization working to raise awareness and support for wounded service members.  The first round of videos will be aired for public voting in mid-September, after which a judging panel will choose winners and distribute the $100,000 prize pool.

Is this a valid approach for vets to reach out, and will it land anyone an actual job?  It’s too soon to say.  According to Mashable.com, Training Camp approached the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs to coordinate together, but the VA has so far declined to jump on board.

The U.S. Department of Defense routinely spends multiple millions of dollars to train our armed forces to “nation-build” overseas, and those skills can be transferable to the private sector.  It’s yet to be seen if we will continue to waste our investment of time, money and people power, and allow our veterans to be lost in the transition from Over There to back home.

On June 26 -29, 2012, The Department of Veterans Affairs is excited to host the National Veteran Small Business Conference and Expo. As the largest nationwide conference of its kind, this event focuses on helping Veteran-owned businesses maximize opportunities in the federal marketplace.

Join nearly 6,000 participants in Detroit for the opportunity to:

• Connect with procurement decision makers from other businesses and federal agencies
• Expand knowledge through over 200 training and business requirement sessions
• Engage with other attendees and gain visibility in the Expo Hall  of nearly 500 booths
• Use VetGovPartner to facilitate online and onsite networking including face-to-face sessions with senior procurement decision makers

This will be hosted atCoboCenter.  There will also be a jobs fair for veterans and employers looking to hire vets on the first two days.

Jim Fausone
Veterans Disability Lawyer

Many men and women from rural America serve their country proudly.  After service they return to uncertain employment opportunities.  The unemployment rate among veterans is a national embarrassment.  My home state of Michigan, known for manufacturing, also has a large agricultural base. 

An article on a program for Ag Warriors caught my attention. The new Ag Warriors program in California’s Central Valley is getting launched to connect veterans and agriculture employers.  Founded by the International Agri-Center, which hosts the World Ag Expo in Tulane, California,  Ag Warriors has partnered with four educational institutions to develop training curriculum that mingle the veterans’ military skills with those needed to thrive in a farming career.  That is creative thinking!  Ag Warriors’ mission is to identify, develop and place returning veterans in long-term professions in the agriculture industry following their military service. 

I would hope community colleges around the nation would find a way to integrate this type of program and outreach to veterans.   A future in agriculture may be just what a veteran, from rural or urban life, needs.

 http://www.hobbyfarms.com/farm-industry-news/2012/02/10/ag-warriors-to-provide-ag-training.aspx