CARSON CITY- Acknowledging Nevada's considerable veteran population, the Office of the Secretary of Defense-Reserve Affairs approved a $650,000 grant for the Nevada National Guard on May 23 to help job-seeking Nevada veterans. The funding will be used to pay for up to six contract personnel who will assist unemployed or underemployed veterans statewide to secure job opportunities. Funds from Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program will be a welcomed addition to achieve that program's initiatives.
"I am pleased to see that the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program recognizes Nevada's great efforts toward the reintegration of service members and veterans," said Governor Brian Sandoval. "This is the 'Year of the Veteran' in Nevada, and this grant will help us reach our goal of making Nevada the most military- and veteran-friendly state in the nation."
Sandoval introduced the Green Zone Initiative in 2012, which is Nevada's effort to marshal all available resources in the areas of wellness, education, and employment for Nevada's veterans. It is augmented by a statewide infrastructure, including the Interagency Council on Veterans Affairs, local Veteran Community Councils, and an online social networking platform and more.
"The critical piece is that we will serve all seven Reserve components," said Lt. Col. Michael Peyerl, Human Resource Office Director, Nevada National Guard. "Currently, we don't have the capacity to follow-up with those veterans whom we have helped find a job. With this funding to hire contract personnel to be, in essence, case workers, we will be able to better track our veterans and continue to work with them to establish a career."
The contracted employees would provide one-on-one employment support to Nevada Guard and Reserve service members, and ensure that those members are not disadvantaged in seeking civilian careers because of their service. Those case workers would focus on identifying current and former service members who are unemployed or underemployed and connect them with both education and employment opportunities that could lead to civilian careers.
Nevada Guard and Reservists are experiencing an unemployment rate of approximately eight percent and underemployment of approximately 17 percent across the state. Currently, there are nearly 350 members of the Reserve components who are registered in the Hero 2 Hired program as unemployed seeking employment. Nevada's most prominent life-stressor influencing retention, suicidal thoughts and attempts is linked directly to financial/unemployment issues in families. Officials anticipate that increasing employment professionals across the state will supplement current programs and increase their effectiveness.
"Working with Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), and partnering with Hero 2 Hired and the Governor's Green Zone Initiative, we expect to see measurable success in getting Nevada's veterans into the workforce with the help we'll hire from this grant," Peyerl said.[[In-content Ad]]
