Document Type
Paper
College
Germanna Community College
Publication Date
10-2015
Abstract
Unemployment is a reality for many veterans, especially those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, due to a subpar military transition program, lack of effort by the veterans themselves, and the inability of businesses to recognize the value veterans may bring. According to the Pentagon (2015), the current veteran transition program fails on many fronts to equip veterans with the communication and networking skills required to find gainful employment. Additionally, Veterans Affairs statistics (2015) suggest that whether through a sense of entitlement or simply an inability to understand the complexity of the civilian labor market, are poorly positioned to compete with non-veterans for jobs. On the other hand, Gudmundsson (2015) argues that there is no veteran unemployment issue, with the topic being little more than a political bargaining chip. However, according to other sources, businesses are insufficiently informed of the unique skills that veterans often possess, and often choose to hire non-veterans who may have higher education credentials, but lack the leadership and other real world experience of veterans. The issue of veteran unemployment can be turned through proactive measures by each of these groups to expand the job-seeking and professional networking skills, ensuring gainful employment for veterans and high skilled employees for businesses.
Recommended Citation
Flurry, Christopher, "Fighting for a Job: The Reality of Veteran Unemployment in Virginia" (2015). Student Writing. 5.
https://commons.vccs.edu/student_writing/5
Description
Christopher Flurry presented this paper at the 2nd Annual Student Research and Writing Symposium at Germanna Community College.
*3rd Place*
Copyright © 2015 by Christopher Flurry