Veterans Day: time to reflect on success of employment programs - Nov. 9, 2006

06-094

Media contact: Bill Tarrow, 360-902-9376

OLYMPIA - While Army veteran Carl Bohlin won’t be participating in any parades this weekend, he will be celebrating something equally important: a fresh start and a new career. 

On Thursday, Nov. 9, he starts a full-time job with benefits at Cardinal Glass in Olympia, after being unemployed and homeless for more than a year. He credits his turnaround to the assistance he received from WorkSource. 

“WorkSource gave me the confidence and self-esteem to go out and start looking for work again,” said Bolin.  “I’d still be at the bottom and running in circles if not for the help I received.”

Carl is among thousands veterans who find jobs each year through WorkSource, a partnership of business, government agencies, colleges and non-profit organizations that offer employment services for job seekers and businesses.  

There are currently 620,000 military veterans living in Washington.  The Employment Security Department has staff at WorkSource offices who are specifically assigned to help veterans find jobs, including disabled veterans.  The department has provided these services to veterans since 1933. 

From July 2005 through June 2006, the department and its partners at WorkSource placed nearly 26,000 veterans into jobs.  Eighty-five percent were still employed after six months at an average wage of $11.30 per hour.  

In all, more than 38,000 veterans received some type of employment service from WorkSource during that time period. Some 8,000 had some degree of disability, and 7,300 had recently exited the military.  

“The Employment Security Department is committed to helping veterans find good jobs so they can adequately provide for themselves and their families,” said Karen Lee, commissioner of the Employment Security Department.  “Veterans make great employees.  Businesses just need to reach out and give them a chance.”

WorkSource provides a variety of services to veterans and their families, including help with résumés, interviewing skills, job referrals, skills training, apprenticeships, vocational rehabilitation and referral to other community resources such as food banks and shelters. 

“One of the big things we do is help veterans translate their military skills into a language that civilian employers can understand,” said Mike Hester, a veterans’ employment representative who put Bohlin on a path to work.  “You’d be surprised at how difficult it is for veterans to get away from the military jargon.  We teach them to talk about their attributes and skills in ways that are valuable to local employers.” 

Employers who are interested in hiring veterans but don’t know where to start, as well as veterans who are looking for work, should contact their local WorkSource office or call 800-562-2308. 

Web Links
Locations of WorkSource offices

Resources for job seekers and businesses, including a searchable database of job listings

Information on occupations, wages and other economic trends