Latest news with #TransitionAssistanceProgram
Associated Press
21-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Sands Hires Its First Corporate Team Member Through the Hiring Our Heroes Program
Las Vegas Sands After participating in the Hiring Our Heroes program at corporate headquarters this past year, Sands hired its first program fellow in early 2025. Chase Jackson recently completed his service in the U.S. Air Force as a Technical Sergeant, Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) journeyman/Joint Terminal Attack Controller instructor and was matched with Sands as an HOH fellow last fall. He joined the company as a cybersecurity analyst at the culmination of his fellowship in January. It's no coincidence that Sands' first HOH hire was in cybersecurity. The company was introduced to the program by Doug Medley, director of Cybersecurity, who also participated in HOH. 'HOH was one of many Department of Defense SkillBridge opportunities presented to me during my Transition Assistance Program briefings,' Medley said. 'As an HOH alum, I felt it was important to add a pathway for separating service members to work in positions not associated with the government. Since I saw first-hand the win-win situation the program offers, it only made sense to bring it to Sands.' The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's HOH program is offered to military service members, veterans, and military spouses. Launched in 2011, Hiring Our Heroes connects the military community with American businesses to spur economic opportunity and a strong, diversified workforce. The program aims to create meaningful employment opportunities through hiring events, digital programs, upskilling opportunities and fellowships. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation connects participating host employers to its rich pipeline of military talent for a 12-week fellowship. Candidates are carefully matched with participating companies based on their specific skills and company needs. Once fellows are assigned to a host company, they undergo exclusive on-the-job training and are able to gain work experience in the private sector. This real-world training is augmented by weekly educational sessions held for the HOH cohort working in various company assignments. 'The host company gets access to a large group of professionals with a wide variety of skillsets and experience levels to grow and sustain their team,' Medley said. 'They also get to know a candidate and determine suitability for a role without all the costs associated with hiring a team member or paid intern. Service members get to learn about a company while still receiving their military pay and benefits. This allows them more flexibility and opportunities to find a job that is the right fit for them.' Jackson found Sands and the cybersecurity team to be a great fit for his desired professional environment. 'The individuals who work here respect people who are willing to work hard,' he said. 'Co-workers go above and beyond to help those that want to learn. Management goes above and beyond to accommodate personal life events such as appointments, emergencies, etc. This means a lot to me because added flexibility provides more control in personal 'life' situations.' With his positive experience, Jackson encourages other members of the military community to consider the opportunities that Hiring Our Heroes can offer. 'I think the benefits of the program are awesome for people who know the company they want to work for as well as those that have no idea what company they want to work for,' he said.'From personal experience, we usually have no idea what we want to do after leaving the military. HOH gives transitioning service members the chance to market their skills for roles outside the military, honing in on what fields best suit their learned skillsets. I honestly could not have had a better experience.' Sands' participation in Hiring Our Heroes is part of the company's ambition to contribute $200 million globally to workforce programs from 2021-2025. As of the end of 2023, Sands had contributed $181 million to programs in this area and will update on its 2024 progress in its next ESG report to be published this spring. To learn more about the company's priority on workforce development, read the most recent ESG report:
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Army reduces transition job-training time, prioritizing junior troops
The Army recently updated rules for soldier participation in training and apprenticeship programs in their final six months of service, cutting down time windows for some in order to prioritize junior service members and maintain unit readiness. The changes, released in a military personnel message on Thursday, splits ranks into three categories with an associated number of days left on contract before they can use the Army Career Skills Program, Department of Defense SkillBridge and other internship programs. For category I, or ranks E1 to E5, soldiers may spend up to 120 days in the training before they end their service with the approval of a field grade commander. Category II, or ranks E6-E7, WO1-CW3 and O1-O3, may participate in up to 90 days of training before the end of their contract with the approval of the first O6 commander in their chain of command. Marines cut time for career transition program, citing readiness Category III includes ranks E8 and above, CW4 and above and O4 and above. Those in category III may use 60 days with the approval of the first general officer in their chain of command. The goal, Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Orlandon Howard told Army Times in an emailed statement, is to prioritize junior enlisted needs for the program and continue to support all soldiers seeking out such programs while limiting the impact on unit readiness that end-of-contract training may create. 'The Army recognizes the value of the Career Skills Program, SkillBridge, and individual internship programs for Soldiers transitioning from the military to civilian life,' Howard said. 'These changes concentrate the programs' benefits where they're needed most while limiting the impact on readiness.' Previously, the Army allowed any rank to be eligible for such training for 120 days and required only the approval of the first field grade commander. Last year, the Marine Corps cut time in the program for exiting jarheads. The new standard allows Marines up to the rank of E5 to begin the program at the 120-day mark, while all ranks above sergeant may spend up to 90 days in the program, Marine Corps Times reported. In 2023, Army Times reported that two key senators said the military was 'falling short' in preparing troops for their transition to civilian work. Military transition classes are 'falling short,' lawmakers warn The comments by Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, and Kevin Craimer, R-N.D., echoed concerns in a Government Accountability Office report. The report noted much of the transition assistance program was too superficial and that 70% of transitioning troops did not begin the Transition Assistance Program until they were under a year left in their contract, despite the program requiring such TAP training be completed prior to the last year of service. An estimated 200,000 troops leave U.S. military service annually, Army Times previously reported. Research has shown that veterans face their highest risk of mental health problems and suicide within the first year of separation.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DANC opening downtown office to help soldiers transition out of Fort Drum
Mar. 26—WATERTOWN — Transitioning soldiers, their spouses and veterans soon will have some place to go downtown to get help for staying, living and working in the community after they leave Fort Drum. The Development Authority of the North Country has secured a $3.9 million state grant to open the "Next Move NY" office at 124 Franklin St. in Jefferson Community College's $3-million education and entrepreneurial center, called The NEST. The program also aims to help local businesses recruit and hire transitioning soldiers, their spouses and veterans so they can stay and work in the north country, said Michelle Capone, DANC's director of regional development. "This is big," she said. The collaboration with the college's entrepreneurial, education and workforce development's efforts seems to make the Next Move NY office "well-placed for that location," Capone said. It's the first time that the transitioning soldier efforts will be located in the community. That work is done on-post at Fort Drum through its Transition Assistance Program. The Next Move NY program will be staffed by program administrator Ben Cruz, program manager Eric Lo and a business liaison still to be hired. Cruz and Lo are former Fort Drum soldiers who will also work at Fort Drum's TAP program, besides being housed at the JCC Franklin Street site. The downtown office is expected to open in mid-April. Some technical equipment, a logo and website still need to be developed, Capone said. JCC's Small Business Development Center also has offices in the Franklin Street building and space for local startup businesses. The DANC program will incorporate a job matching portal and help businesses with soldier recruitment and training for employers. "We're looking at rolling more in the next few months," Capone said. Kylee McGrath, CEO of the Watertown Local Development Corp., heard about the program for the first time on Wednesday morning at a breakfast of the Fort Drum Chapter of AUSA. She previously worked at Fort Drum's TAP program, so she realizes that a lot of soldiers want to stay in the area after leaving the military. "I think it's great to keep them here," she said. "It'll be good for the local economy." The state funding is coming through Empire State Development. The Franklin Street office is part of a $10 million Next Move NY initiative to enhance workforce opportunities for transitioning soldiers and their families, Capone said.
