Military veterans bring outstanding skills and value to the civilian workforce and have unique talents making them a natural fit for a host of fast growing career tracks in the technology industry. Their way to work has been a 24/7 work ethic, demeanor, and “always on” level of professionalism that is enviable in today’s workforce.

IBM recently announced it will hire 2,000 U.S. veterans over the next four years. These positions are part of IBM’s broader pledge to hire 25,000 US workers through 2020, many in New Collar job areas — high-growth fields such as data analytics and cybersecurity that typically require post-secondary training and certification, but not always a traditional four year degree.

IBM is also expanding its partnerships with businesses looking to hire veterans, and broadening its collaboration with veteran recruiting experts and training organizations such as the National Cyber-Forensics Training Alliance, and Corporate America Supports You (CASY) with the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network, both nationwide nonprofits that offer employment assistance for current and former military personnel as well as their spouses.

As a U.S. Army Airborne Ranger veteran and CASY Board Member, I am proud to share these important initiatives underway, including our nationwide program to train and certify U.S. veterans in i2 Analysts’ Notebook, analytics software widely used in the defense and law enforcement industries. Each no-cost, five-day session offers hands-on classroom training with IBM software and allows participants to take the industry standard data analyst certification exam. Upon completion, participants also receive assistance with job placement. Launched in 2016, the program has already trained more than 500 veterans, and placed 70 veterans in positions with corporate or government employers.

One such success story – Angela Covey, a former U.S. Marine with a data analytics background wanted to capitalize on her aptitude and expertise in a growth field. Angela passed her data analysis certification exam after completing an IBM training session, and has now joined IBM as a recruiter. We are so fortunate to have Angela and her military experience as part of our team.

Opportunities to meet and connect with fellow veterans like Angela repeatedly emphasize for me the rich pool of talent we have in our veterans community, professionals that bring a disciplined work ethic and strong collaboration and communications skills acquired through military service — all capabilities that IBM values highly.

Veterans interested in free training and certification should apply now. Visit the Citizen IBM blog for more information, and click here for the full 2017 training schedule. Please also encourage current or soon-to-be veterans to learn more about IBM employment opportunities on our veteran jobs portal.

-Jason Kelley, Vice President, IBM GBS Solutions & Design

 

Note: This post was also appeared as an op-ed in the The Military Service Employment Journal.

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