Times are Tough, But Positive Signs Emerge for Unemployed Veterans
Written by Call of Duty Endowment on November 17, 2011 – 12:57 pm -The unemployment rate for veterans remains shamefully and persistently high. With the slow pace of economic recovery and thousands of service members scheduled to begin returning from Iraq in the coming months, the situation is challenging.
However, public outcry is fueling a nationwide effort to better serve our unemployed and returning vets. Coalitions of State and Federal Governments, elected officials, non-profit groups and business are coalescing around this critical issue. Today the House of Representatives voted unanimously (422-0) to pass legislation extending tax credits to businesses that hire veterans.
From Massachusetts to Georgia to Michigan state governments are also rolling out programs to assist veterans. Like federal legislation, many efforts feature tax breaks to companies hiring veterans as well as additional programs to help with day-to-day expenses in some states.
Non-profit organizations and the private sector are doing their part to answer the call to hire veterans as well with a wide array of programs. In New York, Goodwill Industries helped find employment for 18 veterans in the last month alone, one-third of which were homeless at the time. Some veterans are even finding new careers in farming. According to the Farmer-Veteran Coalition, an organization dedicated to encouraging and helping young military veterans break into agriculture, the average age of an American farmer 60-65 years old and there are opportunities available for veterans.
Finally for our part, on Veterans Day Activision Blizzard, announced a $3 million dollar donation to The Call of Duty Endowment. The grant will fund our efforts to continue assisting veterans with job training and job placement. To-date, the Endowment has provided more than $1.5 million in grants and scholarships. These funds contributed to more than 700 veteran jobs, more than 2,500 veterans receiving job training, and more than 30 receiving scholarships.
Tags: Activision Blizzard, Call of Duty Endowment, Employment, veterans
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