Veterans are trading their fatigues for lab coats. A new wave of military-trained veterans are applying their skills to science and engineering careers, to the benefit of recruiters across the US.
The transition from a military career to a scientific one has been made easier by the . Passed in 2008, the 鈥淕I Bill鈥� offers financial assistance for veterans seeking further education. Eligible individuals receive funding for tuition and housing costs for up to four years of college education.
A new crop of university programs have sprung up to accommodate veterans looking to move to science. In 2009, the set up a grant program to fund science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses aimed specifically at veterans.
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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia, was one of the first universities to launch such a course. , a mechanical engineering professor at Virginia Tech, mentors veteran students. While the veterans鈥� technical military training can come in useful on an engineering course, it鈥檚 their rigorous effort and perseverance that really sets them apart from other students, Kasarda says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e independent and disciplined, and so much better prepared to be successful in college or graduate school,鈥� she says.
Veterans鈥� skills can also set them apart on the jobs market, says Kasarda. 鈥淢any veterans have experience overseeing personnel or mentoring others 鈥� those are skills employers are looking for,鈥� she says.
Military service can provide training in fields such as mechanical engineering, emergency medicine, information technology, and electronics. Tack on discipline and leadership experience, and it鈥檚 clear that service members are ripe for careers in science and engineering.
Employers are starting to take note of these skills. An increasing number of companies are looking to recruit veterans specifically. One such company is , a global biotechnology firm based in San Diego, California.
Matthew Brogdon, senior military recruiter at Life Technologies, and former army captain, values veterans鈥� talent and philosophy. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 leave home when you鈥檙e 18 to be shipped off to another part of the world if you don鈥檛 believe in something,鈥� Brogdon said. 鈥淭hey carry that ethos here, too. Our charge is to shape discovery and improve life, so we look for those values in the people we hire.鈥�
Most veterans are suited to scientific support positions and manufacturing roles, says Brogdon. 鈥淲e look for veterans that come from a technical background or a life sciences orientation,鈥� he says. 鈥淥ftentimes, they鈥檙e going to have an education or military training that will make them a good fit.鈥�
The combination of legislation and improved training and recruitment of veterans may explain a recent boost in veteran employment. In July, the unemployment rate for veterans dropped to 6.4 per cent down from 6.9 per cent last year, sticking below the US national unemployment rate of 7.3 per cent, according to the .
鈥淢any veterans want to make a humanitarian impact, they鈥檙e mission-oriented, and they work well on a team,鈥� says Brogdon. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e passionate, engaged people, and that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e looking for.鈥�