Program aims to help vets get good jobs

Program aims to help vets get good jobs
By Matthew Cox - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jan 31, 2009 8:55:50 EST

Sgt. 1st Class Chad Sowash never stops working for soldiers.

The Indiana Reserve senior drill sergeant is in his second mobilization at Fort Benning, Ga., in four years.

When Sowash isn’t shaping civilians into soldiers, he spends his time finding job opportunities for veterans in the nation’s top-rated firms.

About 18 months ago, Sowash launched VetCentral, an Internet-based program designed to help veterans find success in the civilian workforce.

“It focuses on connecting Fortune 500 companies with veterans,” said Sowash, vice president for business development for Direct Employers Association, a nonprofit group that works with major corporations to help them recruit more effectively. “The jobs have always been there, but there has never been a pipeline in place to funnel those jobs to the veterans.”

This is particularly important now given that the country is in one of the worst economic crises in history, resulting in hundreds of thousands of layoffs across America.

At the same time, the Army is less willing to pay out large bonuses to keep soldiers in the service.
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