Veterans Face Hurdles Returning to Workforce

The military ads we see on television often claim that enlisted men and women have the opportunity to gain valuable job skills while serving our country. Whether the dream is to be an engineer or a journalist, the promise is that the military can help that dream to come true. But are these promises real? And what do real veterans face when trying to find work?

Dr. Casi Crockett has some ideas. Crockett is the administrative director of Stand Down, and works with veterans returning from completing their service: vets who are looking for jobs in an economy with a 9.6 percent unemployment rate.

Takeaway work and personal finance contributor Beth Kobliner also joins us with statistics and tips for military men and women.

Also, check out Beth's list of helpful links for veterans:

• Hire Heroes USA: non-profit that offers career help to returning vets; specializing in injured/disabled vets
• Helmets to Hardhats: helps vets transition to work in construction
• RecruitMilitary: Features large job database and also hosts job expos for vets
• American Corporate Partners: free career counseling and mentoring to recent vets from corporations and universities including GE, Goldman Sachs, PepsiCo, Bloomberg, and others
• Department of Labor’s VETS (Veterans’ Employment & Training Service) program: provides resources and training to help veterans find employments.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs VetSucess program
• Check state/local government resources, too. Brand-new example: Florida Department of Veterans Affairs new website
• Very comprehensive list of other organizations provided by the Call of Duty Endowment, a nonprofit that raises awareness of veteran employment issues and funds various job placement and training efforts
• GI Bill benefits