Veterans group helping troops prepare for civilian life

MILITARY: Oceanside veterans group helping troops prepare for civilian life

By MARK WALKER
Posted: Sunday, March 4, 2012


A new effort to help members of the military transition to the civilian workforce gets under way in Oceanside this week.

The Veterans Association of North County is hosting free career-preparation classes with an emphasis on interviewing skills and creating a resume.

The classes come as the unemployment rate for California veterans hovers at about 12 percent, according to state statistics.

The rate is closer to 30 percent for those younger than 25, and nearly 50 percent for blacks younger than 25.

Those numbers could get even bleaker as the Marine Corps reduces its troops by 5,000 this year and by a similar number for the two following years.

"We have to secure jobs for these people," said Chuck Atkinson, founder of the Oceanside-based veterans association. "All the problems start with not having a job. You can't pay the mortgage, you can't pay for the car and everything else starts to go downhill."
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