MASON CITY, IA - Military men and women returning from the battlefields are having a hard time finding work at home.
A survey conducted by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) shows 20 percent of the nearly 3,000 Iowa soldiers who returned earlier this year from Afghanistan didn't have civilian jobs waiting for them.
But the group is working to lower that statistic.
Throughout October ESGR is going on the road in Iowa to recognize National Guard and Reserve members and the employers that hire them. For those soldiers still looking for work they're hoping to help them find something sufficient.
“There's a transition time for the soldiers coming back initially,” said Mike Flatness, Desert Storm veteran.
Flatness is now a volunteer for ESGR.
“I worked for Holcim Cement, it was Northwestern States when I deployed, and came back and they were very gracious with me provided a great transition time for me,” said Flatness.
But Flatness says for soldiers returning home today the transition isn't quite as easy, especially when it comes to finding work.
“There are some businesses that have closed, needs with the employers have changed and jobs have been eliminated; that's a tough deal for a soldier coming back from an overseas deployment,” said Flatness.
That's why ESGR is starting an employment initiative program aimed at getting veterans back to work.
“We train the employers on how to hire, deploy and return soldiers to the workforce,” said Mark Stanton, ESGR assistant state chair.
ESGR, Iowa Works and other agencies will all come together to help veterans with everything from resume and interview skills to finding jobs online.
“They're going to tie us all together we're going to be able to feed information direct the soldiers on how to get the job where to go and how to get it,” said Stanton.
Stanton says employers that do hire vets get good sound employees, and the veterans get a sense of normalcy back in their life.
“Hopefully the employers are willing to work with the soldiers and bring them back to a job that's comparable to what they left,” said Flatness. “Hopefully they can put the war behind them and make that transition to being a civilian again.”
The ESGR is part of the Department of Defense and it is an all-volunteer force.
They hope their on the road campaign spreads awareness of the veteran unemployment situation.
