Dive Brief:
- Comcast plans to hire an additional 11,000 military community members by the end of 2021, including veterans, military spouses and National Guard and Reserve members, the company announced early November.
- Meeting the goal would bring Comcast to a total of 21,000 military hires by the end of 2021, it said. The company supports transition into the workforce for military personnel, with programming that includes mentorships, professional development geared specifically toward those who serve and their spouses, volunteering opportunities and a VetNet employee resource group.
- In 2018, the company became a founding partner of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses initiative. Targeted to the families of service members who are often unemployed or underemployed due to frequent relocation requirements, the initiative seeks to raise awareness of military families' situations and encourage business to invest in that pool of applicants, Comcast said.
Dive Insight:
The week that marked Veterans Day 2018 in the U.S. has seen a number of organizations making military hiring commitments, with job board Monster publishing its 2018 list of top employers for veterans. Military members, at times an overlooked group of job seekers, can bring valuable leadership, decision-making and teamwork skills to a job site, experts have previously told HR Dive.
Businesses are working not only to hire vets, but also to help those who are active-duty or retired from service make the transition back to private sector jobs. Others have developed apprenticeship programming and other programs geared specifically toward former members of the U.S. military. IBM and PNC recently announced the expansion of the firms' tech training partnership, for example.
For business looking to increase diversity levels within, veterans are a top demographic to target. Employers should also be aware, however, of legal requirements as set forth in the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor.
