April 30, 2013

Rep. Michaud Reacts to White House Veteran Employment Announcement

Washington, D.C.  – Representative Mike Michaud (Maine-02), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, reacted to today’s White House announcement that American businesses have hired or trained 290,000 veterans and military spouses over the past two years and have committed to hiring 435,000 more by 2018.

“It’s great news that the business community’s commitment to hiring veterans and their families has not only been successful, but is being expanded. Too many of our men and women coming home struggle to translate what they did in the military to civilian employers. These employment goals, along with improved credentialing of service-connected skills, will make a significant difference to all our veterans. It’s a public-private partnership that must continue to be a priority, because one veteran without a job is too many.

“As I talk with industry leaders, I find great examples of organizations that have embraced veterans as key components of their workforce. They recognize the unique talent, experience and dedication of the men and women who have served this nation. The programs and partnerships they have put in place to help veterans reintegrate into the civilian workforce should be captured and modeled at a national level. We should codify our nation’s commitment to veterans in a broad strategy that guides the actions of all parts of society in support of all veterans.”