Employment Program Briefing
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Jobs Page
|
The Jobs Page is available to military veterans who are serious about seeking employment opportunities in the green sector.
Job listings are updated weekly - and we encourage veterans browse these regularly.
|
|
Interest Form
|
We encourage all job-seeking veterans to fill out our Interest Form. We keep their data on file and keep them updated about future job and training opportunities.
|
|
Jobs Outlook
| |
In January 2013, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the youngest post-9/11 veterans, those ages 20-24, are unemployed at a rate of 31.4%, the highest rates of all age groups. The post-9/11 veterans ages 25-29 and 35-39 are unemployed at rates of 14.8% and 13.1%, respectively. The overall unemployment rate for all Americans (16 and over) was 7.9%.
|
|
 | | Jeff Lamica, U.S. Army veteran |
Veteran Spotlight: Jeff Lamica
When Jeff Lamica left the military, he wasn't sure how he was going to get a job or what he was going to do for work. At first he considered going to college - but discovered another avenue when he met SolarCity through Veterans Green Jobs. "The prospect of getting a job was kind of a new one for me. It had been a while. But when I met the people and saw the environment at SolarCity, I started cementing my ideas for what I was going to do for work," he says.
As a U.S. Army infantryman, Jeff had deployed twice to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. He was accustomed to the military's structured and rigid environment, and knew he'd have to adjust to the civilian world - one that would require him to take more initiative and adapt to a different kind of schedule. Jeff started his transition by contacting Veterans Green Jobs' employment program, which he had heard about from the Army Career and Alumni Program. Not long after he was in the Veterans Green Jobs database, he received an email indicating that SolarCity in Parker, Colo. was offering a photovoltaic (PV) installer training program.
"I met with a Veterans Green Jobs recruiter, who helped me translate my resume into civilian terms and make me more marketable. She counseled me on the interview process and prepared me for the interview with SolarCity," Jeff says. Today, Jeff has a job as a junior PV installer for SolarCity. Jeff says the job is a great fit for him. He was interested in doing work that was hands-on and physical. And the renewable energy industry was a big draw. "I believe that renewable energy, and my participation in it, helps my country and my community. It makes us less reliant on fossil fuels and foreign imports and makes us less susceptible to an energy crisis. The ability to supply our own energy makes us more self sufficient and self sustaining."
Jeff believes that he is a good match for the renewable energy field because of the essential skills and experience he gained in the military. "I can work effectively in a team, with many different types of personalities in many different jobs. And I've gotten used to working in hard conditions, for long days, in the heat and the cold." In addition, Jeff says, the military culture made him more reliable as a person, a trait that translates very well into the civilian workforce. "You have to be in the right place at the right time with the right equipment. And you have to work hard. You're accountable for the results of your day."
|
|
 SolarCity: Veterans Go the Extra Mile
San Mateo, California-based SolarCity provides clean energy services to homeowners, businesses, schools, non-profits and government organizations. With hundreds of open job positions across the country at any given time, SolarCity regularly needs to access a pool of qualified job candidates. For a stream of applicants to fill a variety of field, operations and management level positions, SolarCity turns to its partnership with Veterans Green Jobs.
"Veterans Green Jobs provides us with great applicants who are used to being very hard-working in a team environment, work under pressure, and believe in what we're doing," said Micah Fromkin, regional operations manager for SolarCity's Parker, Colo. office.
According to Fromkin, military veterans are a good fit for the renewable energy industry due to the technical skills they bring to the table. "Many of the veterans we see are coming with skill sets that include working at heights, in difficult conditions and in harsh weather. As solar installers we find ourselves working in those conditions all the time," he says, adding that general construction experience is a plus for any position in the solar installation field.
"What we've found in interviewing and hiring veterans is that they slide into a team mentality very easily. They're problem-solvers. And they're typically willing to go that extra mile and do what they need to do to make sure their team is successful and the company's successful." Read the full story on our website. |
 | | Volunteers at a GRID Alternatives solar installation |
GRID Alternatives and VGJ Spark Partnership
Veterans Green Jobs recently launched a partnership with GRID Alternatives, an Oakland, Calif.-based nonprofit. GRID installs solar electric systems exclusively for low-income families, using a volunteer-based model that provides community members and job trainees opportunities to gain hands-on solar installation experience. The new partnership brings together GRID Alternatives' expertise in solar installation with Veterans Green Jobs' growing network of job-seeking veterans in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector. It also opens up volunteer and training opportunities for military veterans interested in exploring solar energy as a career path. GRID opened the doors for its Colorado office here in Denver in January, and expects to complete its first installations in April. We look forward to working closely with GRID! Read the press release.
|
 Seasonal Employment: Accepting Applications NOW!
Veterans Green Jobs' outdoor conservation and wildland firefighting programs offer seasonal employment opportunities that help put veterans on a career path with state and federal resource and land management agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, State Parks and the national parks system. These are seasonal paid training opportunities. While they'll give veterans experience and certifications that will make them more competitive when applying for related federal jobs, we do not guarantee federal employment following service with the corps.
In partnership with conservation corps around the western U.S., we are currently seeking applications for a number of seasonal opportunities! We invite veterans to check out our opportunities page right away - deadlines are approaching soon for spring and summer crews. |
 | | Paul Aranda |
California or Bust
Veterans Green Jobs is excited to expand our operations in California. With an office opening Los Angeles and new personnel who were hired on March 1, we'll be able to better serve the more than 100,000 unemployed veterans in California with employment and training opportunities.
We're proud to welcome to our team Paul Aranda, a post-9/11 Army veteran, to be a full-time career counselor in Los Angeles. He'll work with veterans individually and guide them through the job search process, leveraging personal connections with human resource managers and breaking down barriers to hiring. He'll also serve as a recruiter for our employment and outdoor conservation
 | | Chris Gallas |
programs at local job fairs and veteran events.
We were also joined by Chris Gallas, a U.S. Navy veteran, to serve as an industry liaison. Focused on partnering with green industry comp anies in California, Chris will ensure a significant base of jobs to offer to veterans. He'll collaborate with partner companies to increase their understanding of veterans, provide educational services to human resource departments and assist in the hiring process. Join us in welcoming Paul and Chris to our team!
|
 Call of Duty Endowment: $250,000 Grant
The Call of Duty Endowment , a nonprofit that helps veterans transition to civilian careers, has granted $250,000 to Veterans Green Jobs. The grant money will be used to support our expansion efforts in California and Colorado. With this new funding, we've hired a career counselor and an industry liaison in Los Angeles, and have hired or will hire two career counselors, an industry liaison and a regional outdoor conservation coordinator in Denver. (Read the press release.)
Thank you for your continued support of our mission, Call of Duty Endowment!
|
Learning to Ask for Help - by John Toth
Earlier this year, I attended the Student Veterans of America (SVA) national conference in Orlando, Florida. One of the featured speakers, General Gorge Casey (former commander in Iraq and 36th chief of staff of the Army) told the assembled group to "not be hesitant to ask for and accept help." He reminded us that, as leaders, we were taught that it's not right to ask for help for ourselves. We learned to focus on the team and on what will make us all successful. Typically, we turn our attention and energy towards the lowest ranking member of the team who needs help with a personal problem. And when it comes to asking for help for ourselves, we often remain silent. As you seek to move on to the next phase of your life following your honorable service, now is not the time to be quiet. Read my blog, Learning to Ask for Help.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
