How Public-Private Partnerships Can Pave Career Paths for Veterans

I’ll always remember the day I joined the armed forces. I was drawn to the Marine Corps by its mission and a desire for personal and professional development. Serving for 33 years taught me that these same reasons drive many men and women to volunteer to serve. It’s a personal decision driven by patriotism or duty, as well as the training and well-defined career path that the military promises.  

In exchange for devoting themselves to protect and defend their country, service members expect a financial safety net will be in place to protect them and their families.

In January, the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission issued 15 recommendations that will continue to ensure the long-term viability of the nation’s all-volunteer force.

The commission’s recommendations should be applauded for creating a comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of active-duty service members and their families, as well as helping those who are transitioning out of the military.

These recommendations could not come at a more critical time. In the next five years, more than 1 million men and women on active duty are expected to return to civilian life.

For some service members this drawdown will be factored into their long-term career plans; for others, it will come as an unwelcome change. This is an opportunity for the private sector to partner with the public sector in efforts to educate, train and employ these talented men and women.

Businesses, large and small, should play a bigger role in providing veterans with the educational and skills training opportunities they need to make the transition. Companies such as Caterpillar, Microsoft, Starbucks and a handful of others have stepped up. The Microsoft Software and Systems Academy, for example, was launched in December 2013 to provide active-duty military personnel with the training needed to help secure a life-changing civilian job.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that at least 50 percent of the jobs in the U.S. require technology skills, and that number has been steadily increasing over the past decade. In 2000, there were about 10 million STEM jobs in our economy. Today the BLS says there are more than 18 million such jobs, and employers are struggling to find skilled talent to fill them in a wide variety of industries.

Men and women in uniform gain invaluable training and leadership experience that teaches them how to make critical decisions under pressure and helps them discern when to lead and when to follow. These are important skills that can benefit any civilian organization.

Elected leaders in Washington and commanders at some of the country’s largest military bases recognize this reality and have supported the MSSA program. Partnerships with the White House and the Labor, Veterans Affairs and Defense departments aim to broaden the program’s reach.  Participants include the commanders at the Marine Corps’ Camp Pendleton, Joint Base Lewis-McChord and the Army’s Fort Hood, as well as the presidents of Saint Martin’s University and Central Texas College.

Thanks to public sector leaders willing to try this new approach with a private sector company, there is a model for on-base STEM skills credentialing programs for service members. The MSSA program provides them 16 weeks of accredited, college-level information technology training and a pathway to a well-paying IT career.

This is the sort of collaboration that leads to veterans programs such as MSSA and ultimately to a rich pool of STEM job candidates who can fill the growing need for skilled IT and cybersecurity professionals in the private and public sectors. Even more critical is the need for other technology companies to step up and start their own training programs, or at least hire graduates who have completed the training.

By working hand in hand with the Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs departments to create transition training that can lead to long-term career opportunities, the private sector can help veterans live up to their potential and address a vital need for the country’s economic future.

Chris Cortez is vice president of Military Affairs at Microsoft and a retired Marine Corps major general.

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