As the manufacturing industry keeps changing, so does the number of open jobs. 700,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs have been added since 2010 and we could see 3.5 million new job openings, or more, over the next ten years.
If you’re finding it difficult to fill your openings with skilled workers, a possible remedy could be to hire veterans. While the unemployment rate for veterans has been steadily decreasing since 2001, as of 2016, there were still approximately 453,000 unemployed veterans.
Here are a few benefits that come along with hiring veterans:
Transferable Skills
Many men and women of the armed forces develop skills in the service that are applicable outside of military careers. Military personnel are often trained on machines and technology which can carry over into a manufacturing career.
Trained Leaders
Veterans have been trained to be skilled leaders. Military are recruited at an early age and with each rank increase, more responsibility is given. If you are looking for candidates to ultimately grow into leadership roles within your company, veterans make an obvious choice.
Good Work Ethic
Military personnel take their work very seriously. When trained, they are taught that they must be focused, detail-oriented and diligent in order to protect themselves and their team. These types of qualities stick around, making for a dedicated and hard worker.
Potential Tax Credit
Hiring an unemployed veteran could mean a tax credit or two for your company. The credit amounts vary, depending on how long the veteran has been unemployed and whether or not the veteran is disabled. You can learn about the different types of tax credits available here.
How to Hire Veterans
Contact a staffing company, like Alliance Technical Solutions, and ask them to partner with you to find candidates. Your staffing partner may have access to veteran groups. Attend a military job fair. There are a number of them across the U.S. throughout the year. Check out Workshops for Warriors, a training program that helps veterans expand on their skills.
Even though the veteran unemployment rate is decreasing, there are still many of our service men and women who are in need of work. Veterans’ overlapping manufacturing skills and valuable work ethic can make them an asset to your manufacturing team. For more tips on building a quality manufacturing team, read this blog.
