NEW ULM, Minn. -
When our servicemen and women return home, they find open arms from friends and family, appreciation from their community, and unfortunately dramatically higher unemployment rates.
Representative Tim Walz says, "One of the biggest things is making sure the skills they learned in the military translate over, make sure they aren't being held up by procedural things like getting a truck drivers license."
Walz's 'Veterans Skills to Jobs Act,' which helps speed up the licensing process for Veterans, was signed into law this summer.
But there are still hundreds of thousands of veterans without jobs.
Patrick Wilson with Parker Hannifin says, "We've got openings, we need resources, we need talented people. "
Parker Hannifin, which makes motion and control technologies, says they would love to hire veterans.
Wilson says, "We want employees that are self directed, self–thinking, able to make decisions and help the business move forward. Those abilities that they gain in the military just give them a leg up when they come in the door."
Wilson says unfortunately sometimes veterans have a hard time articulating their skills, and that is something congress could help with.
Walz says, "The veterans aren't victims and they don't want charity, what they want is a job, and a lot of times if you have been in the military, out of the civilian sector you just don't simply know where to go on that, or how to talk about it."
They have the skills; they just need help showing that to employers.
Wilson says, "That when they come in to interview we can see that talent and ability in them, and we would love to hire veterans, we have openings currently."
Helping veterans find jobs is a big job in itself, but one that Wilson and Walz say is worth it.
