Veteran Skills Finally Recognized Just As Valuable As Civilian Certificates and College Degrees.

Veteran skills haven't always been recognized as compatible with civilian jobs but things have changed dramatically over the past decade. Without exception, every single company I talk to states the same thing, "We love hiring Veterans". They also state that "Veterans don't have the required certifications we need".

Some companies not only recognize the value of our Veteran workforce but will pay to provide them the training required to gain the certifications needed. The certification and degree hurdle that some Veterans can't get over is changing and I am excited about the future of Veteran hiring!

President Trump recently signed an executive order prioritizing Veteran job skills over college degrees and certifications. This will open up many federal jobs to Veterans that have all the skills necessary to accomplish these jobs but did not get a civilian certification or degree.

I believe this is only the beginning of what will be a "skill hiring" paradigm shift. I can tell you from personal experience that my MBA did not prepare me for the business world but my military experience did. I have a daughter in college so I am not stating education isn't important. Not everyone can or will join the military but for those who do they will be able to translate all those years of real experience into a federal job and soon a civilian job.

I witnessed first hand many young men and women transitioning out of the military and not being able to find good careers. These were the same people I watched each day lead projects with diverse teams and complete almost impossible tasks with very limited resources. These were the same very young men and women who just a year before were deployed across the globe in hostile conditions. They not only succeeded in completing the mission but flourished in environments that most people simply could not face. All of that just to be told, "you don't have the required certificates or degrees".

My SkillMil team is excited. We have been talking about skill matching vice college and certifications for the past 4 years. We already have the website that specializes in matching our Enlisted Force with quality jobs. This is great news for Veterans and for the American Workforce.