Skills After Service is working to help make transition to civilian life easier for veterans. We host events, develop curriculum, work closely with other organizations with shared goals. One aspect of providing all of these services is cost. It costs money to provide these services but we do not want to put the burden of covering those costs on the men and women that have already put in their time and served this nation.
We are very pleased to announce a new public-private partnership between Skills After Service and Austin-based nonprofit organization, Transition Skills Training, Inc. TST’s mission is to help make training and career development more accessible and affordable for veterans and their families. One of their new programs includes providing scholarships to veterans and their family members who want to attend Local Biz Camps presented by Skills After Service.
TST Boardmember and Secretary Rebecca Melancon is a recognized leader in the Austin area and is revered nationally as an advocate and mentor for small and local businesses across the country. Her role on the TST board is key for helping veterans who want to start or grow a business in their own community. Rebecca is the Executive Director of Austin Independent Business Alliance and has been a speaker and sponsor of Local Biz Camps, now in a partnership with Skills After Service. “When we came together and decided that there needs to be some way to make sure veterans are not hindered by the cost of participating in skills training, we put our heads together and formed Transition Skills Training in order to make sure there was an official organization, with a clear mission and programs to support, so that we could help veterans and their families,” says Melancon.
Rebecca’s husband is a Vietnam veteran and she has seen first-hand the complicated path required to return to civilian life and to have a career that is valued and fulfilling. One of the ways TST will support veterans is by funding scholarships to attend small business events and other training opportunities. For Skills After Service, that means TST will provide a limited number of scholarships to veterans and their family members who want to attend Local Biz Camps starting in Summer 2019. TST is also developing programs around corporate mentoring, not just for veterans but for hiring managers and directors in large organizations.
One of the important aspects of our work with TST will be to help fund research and curriculum development for psychosocial skills training modules, for veterans and for hiring managers. “We don’t just need to train veterans,” says CJ Niehoff, Founder and Managing Director of Skills After Service. “We need to make sure that HR Directors across the country know that there is an extraordinary, skilled and loyal workforce out there that remains largely untapped. That means more than just considering veteran candidates. It’s about how companies engage and interact with veteran staff members. We believe there is so much to be gained by bringing certification to the table for both sides. There is a labor shortage right now, across the country, but we have qualified military personnel taking jobs as dishwashers when they are skilled engineers and leaders.”
Skills After Service is excited to develop this public-private partnership with Transition Skills Training, Inc. We will keep our followers updated on progress and new developments as this new relationship evolves.
Add to my Notebook