“Talent is just critical to the growth of our economy and to the success of every business in Greater Boston,” said Jim Klocke, executive vice president at the chamber, who is overseeing the initiative. “What we have is a fantastic addition to the talent pool as veterans return to civilian life from active duty.”
The chamber’s program is part of a groundswell of employment support for veterans in recent months. In November, a federal law was enacted to award tax credits to businesses that hire veterans, and the Obama administration beefed up career services for veterans.
In Massachusetts, the Patrick administration created a task force on hiring veterans, designated $700,000 in state funds to train and employ veterans, and launched networking events for employers to share information about hiring veterans.
More than 13,000 veterans have used the state’s career centers in the past 12 months, and the number of recently discharged veterans seeking help with their job search has increased 13 percent from the previous year, according to state career services officials.
“As the number of recently separated veterans has increased and there’s a lot of awareness of the sacrifice that veterans made for all of us in the recent, current wars,” said Joanne Goldstein, the state’s secretary of labor and workforce development, “I think there’s been an increased recognition of our responsibility to help them find job placement in civilian life.”
The chamber is partnering with the state on the program, inviting veterans who have registered at career centers and community colleges to participate in networking and corporate mentoring events. The chamber is also looking into creating an online service where veterans can connect with mentors.