Chattanooga Career Center Invites Employers to Join Forces with Veterans
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 | 07:43am
Local Office Opens House to Jobless Veterans
CHATTANOOGA – Veteran’s Day is recognized across the nation as a celebration to honor America's veterans, living patriots either currently serving or retired, for their willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. Governor Haslam has joined in honoring Tennessee’s veterans by naming November 6-12 as Veterans Recognition Week.
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s Commissioner Karla Davis requested the proclamation to raise awareness of the Department’s program to employ veterans returning from service and of past military campaigns.
“Tennessee Career Centers are here to support veterans and do whatever we can to connect them with work opportunities, said Commissioner Davis. “The state has veterans’ representatives who are standing by to offer career counseling, job matching, and we consult employers on the benefits of hiring Tennessee’s vets.”
On Wednesday, November 9, 2011, the Tennessee Career Center at Chattanooga is hosting an open house from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. in recognition of Veteran’s Day. All veterans and non-veterans are welcome. Employers are invited to learn more about the Career Center’s services. The Chattanooga Career Center is located at 5600 Brainerd Road, Suite A-5.
Statewide, the Tennessee Department of Labor provides job service to nearly 35,000 veterans every year. Labor representatives are partnering with many branches of the military to reach returning service members as they transition from military to civilian life.
“These are challenging times for everyone who is looking for work, but veterans are unique in many ways,” said veterans representative John Webster, who is a veteran himself and who has served in the U.S. Army Reserve for 38 years. “There is a misconception that shooting a gun is the only skill a vet has, and that is far from the case. We’re talking about engineers, truck drivers, managers with a proven capacity to lead and a great work ethic. Once we connect vets with employers they understand what an asset it is to have them on your team.”
Angela Lawrence, an Army veteran also in the Chattanooga Career Center, provides intensive services to veterans who have barriers to employment due to disabilities or educational qualifications.
All Tennessee Career Centers give veterans “priority of service,” a federal initiative that gives veterans first notice of job orders from local employers. Employee recruiting is a free service to all employers and applicants are screened based on the experience criteria set by the employer.
Tennessee employers can benefit from hiring veterans by receiving federal income tax credits under the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program or WOTC. Tennessee is in the top ten in the nation for employers using WOTC, and this year more than 50,000 income tax credits were approved for new hires. To receive additional information regarding WOTC, please call 1-800-432-5268 (in state only) or visit http://www.tn.gov/labor-wfd/wotc.html.
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