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The following is a column submitted to local area newspapers in September 2015.

Two years ago, the newest member of my staff, Rob McCann, stood outside the Portland Career Center on a cold gray morning.  He had recently been discharged from the Marines after serving three tours in Afghanistan and Jordan—participating in nearly 150 combat missions and over 60 firefights. Like many of his fellow veterans, he was also learning to live with several service-connected disabilities. 

After coming home, Rob sent out dozens of job applications without receiving any response.  He went to the Career Center to see how they might be able to help, although he was skeptical of what they could do.  

It was there that his luck changed for the better.  He worked with a job counselor— also a veteran—who was able to help Rob translate his military experiences into a resume highlighting job skills that might catch an employer’s eye. 

With the counselor’s assistance, Rob eventually got a job with Preble Street Resource Center’s Veteran Housing program, helping other veterans access housing and services.  Since then, Rob has built an accomplished record of assisting veterans and I was happy to have him join my staff recently through the Congressional Wounded Warrior Fellowship.  This great program pays disabled veterans for 2-year positions in Congressional offices. 

Rob is a wonderful addition to my staff and is doing a great job helping the veterans who call my office for help.  He understands from experience the kinds of issues they deal with, knows how to navigate them through federal processes, and can effectively advocate on their behalf.
 
But when Rob applied at Preble Street, he had never done social work before. Despite questions about how he would perform, the organization hired him because they saw his potential and knew that, as a veteran, he would bring certain assets to the job. 

A new initiative in Maine is trying to get employers to do the same for other veterans.  Starting on Labor Day, the goal of the Maine Hire-a-Vet campaign is to get 100 employers to hire 100 veterans in 100 days.  

The Maine Department of Labor and its statewide network of Career Centers are leading the initiative.  The campaign is reaching out to veterans about resources they can access, as well as to potential employers who have questions about hiring veterans. 

These highly trained men and women bring a number of strengths to any workplace.  They are strong leaders and good team players who are goal oriented and highly accountable.  Depending on their specialization in the military, they bring technical skills as well, but their service instills in them these positive values and many others. 

Still, veterans face higher unemployment than the civilian population, especially those who have recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan.  One reason is that a large percentage of post-9/11 veterans have come home with disabilities—including post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries—caused by their time in service.  The injuries and conditions don’t define these veterans, but, as Rob attests, stereotypes about them can sometimes stand in the way of getting hired. 

“In my mind, the mental and physical health issues facing today’s returning veterans have become a big barrier, not for veterans to overcome, but for employers who are nervous about incorporating these individuals into their place of business,” Rob recently said at a press conference for the Hire-a-Vet campaign. “I would encourage employers to look beyond the common misconceptions that burden employment opportunities for so many recently returning service members, and look to incorporate some of the strengths our veterans have to offer.” 

That’s my hope, too.  Whether you’re a veteran who needs help entering the workforce or an employer looking to hire, I hope you’ll reach out to the Hire-a-Vet campaign.  You can find out more information at http://www.mainecareercenter.com/employment/veterans-services/index.shtml.