Workforce pushes vets for openings

COLUMBUS -- Veterans Month is nearly over, but Nebraska Workforce Development Columbus Career Center continues encouraging employers to look at veterans for open positions.

Throughout the month of November, the local Workforce Development Center has promoted hiring veterans, but as November ends it hopes the consideration will continue to be made.

Bonnie McPhillips, regional manager of the local Workforce Development office, said the center has been putting a focus on veterans because it is Hire-A-Vet month so they want to advertise their employment services for veterans and encourage area businesses to place veterans atop their hiring lists.

To encourage businesses to take a serious look at hiring veterans and to recognize their sacrifices, President George W. Bush signed into law on Nov. 7, 2002, the Jobs for Veterans Act.

“We are always trying to promote hiring veterans. During the month of November we are bringing more attention to it,” McPhillips said.

Although she could not provide specifics on how many veterans may have been hired this month as a result of their efforts, McPhillips said employers are receptive to the program.

Ed Beller, the Columbus Career Center’s Local Veterans’ Employment Representative, said the way they try to reach employers is though flyers and contacting potential employers directly.

“This is something we do on a daily basis, (but) we pick one month where we try to provide some extra services and bring awareness to the veteran population,” Beller said.

He said the reasons veterans are emphasized are their service to the country, skills gained during their time in training and service and their hard work ethic.

“The majority of veterans are fairly highly trained. They receive really good training and pick up a lot of good skills while in the service. Their training is more intense than one may get at a basic technical college,” Beller said. “They are disciplined, used to working in a structured environment, work a variety of hours, long hours and do shift work.”

He said many are trained in very highly technical fields such as radar, heating air conditioning systems, watering systems, navigation systems and guidance systems.

“We encourage any employer to keep the veteran in mind when they are hiring,” Beller said.

For more information about the local Workforce Development’s veteran services, please contact Ed Beller at 564-7160.