Each year, hundreds of thousands of service members leave the military, with nearly half facing some period of unemployment. At the same time, Hoosier companies continue to struggle to find skilled talent to fill in-demand jobs. Conexus Indiana has developed a first-of-its-kind program designed to connect Hoosier companies directly to veterans from around the country as they exit the military. This will help companies fill the skills gap and provide veterans high-demand civilian career opportunities.
Conexus Indiana’s program, called INvets, was designed in partnership with five Indiana advanced manufacturing companies, including Allison Transmission, Faurecia, Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, Subaru of Indiana Automotive and Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Indiana.
“We are excited to continue providing quality jobs here in Indiana,” said Bob Nelson, president of Honda Manufacturing of Indiana. “Supporting INvets is yet another way to identify talented individuals who can help us to remain competitive.”
“For the past decade, Conexus Indiana has worked with partners in industry, education and government to create a business environment where advanced manufacturing and logistics companies can invest, employ, and succeed. INvets is an evolution of that work,” said Wes Wood, Conexus Indiana’s leader of this program and Army veteran. “We know manufacturers are in need of skilled talent and that there is a ready and eager veteran workforce. Working with industry partners, we think we will have one of the only programs in the nation that reaches outside of a state’s borders to attract veterans leaving the military with a comprehensive package of training, career connection and community integration.”
The centerpiece of the program will be a website for veterans, which includes information about high-tech jobs in Indiana, the skills required for employment, and life in the communities where companies have job opportunities. Qualified candidates can also upload their resumes to the INvets website for hiring consideration and career advising.
Participating companies will have access to the website’s database of candidates and can easily match qualified talent with job opportunities. Sponsoring companies will also provide information about their companies, career paths and open positions. More than a simple job board, INvets details the skills required for employment at each company and for each job, with links to education or training partners that offer the skills training, credentials or degrees needed. The INvets website also will house information on career development with clearly defined career pathways.
INvets will partner with other Indiana veteran organizations to give applicants access to a variety of services to ease their transition from military to civilian employment. Hoosier companies will also have access to the INvets-developed support systems and programs for newly hired veterans.
The INvets website will be supported by a marketing campaign to raise awareness among veterans nationwide of job opportunities in Indiana. While INvets will begin with support from Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics companies, the program is expected to expand to include job opportunities across all in-demand industry sectors.