thedrifter
05-11-09, 11:01 AM
Forum addresses ways to keep exiting military in North Carolina
May 10, 2009 - 5:00 PM
MOLLY K. DEWITT
You can attract new devil dogs, using new tricks.
That was the message Kim Oliver, marketing director for Marine Corps Community Services, presented at the Exiting Military Forum Friday, hosted by the Jacksonville-Onslow Chamber of Commerce.
The forum was an attempt to pinpoint ways in which the community and the state can entice service members exiting the military to stay in North Carolina.
"The importance of the military to North Carolina cannot be diminished," said Al Delia, policy director for the office of the governor. "Exiting military represent something like $3.3 billion in impact in North Carolina."
In a survey conducted by MCCS in January of exiting military, 72 percent of the 284 surveyed indicated they plan to leave North Carolina for another state, while 19 percent planned to seek employment within North Carolina, 3 percent had already secured employment within the state and 6 percent had no idea what they planned to do. The majority of those surveyed, 62 percent, indicated they would not reconsider remaining in the state even if their job or career path was available to them.
Oliver said she believes the missing piece is getting information to the exiting military in advance so that they can make informed decisions about whether or not they wish to stay in the state.
"We almost need to spoon feed the Marines a little more than what we're doing," she said.
A major issue facing exiting military who are job seeking is the stereotype some employers may have that they are nothing more than "bullet stoppers," when in reality, Oliver said, they often have more skills than the average employee.
"What they do in the Marine Corps has vast importance in the civilian sector," she said.
Delia said exiting service members make up a quality work force because they are "disciplined, mature, tech savvy and ready to work," adding that they also pass drug tests and background checks with ease.
"There's no better worker than a veteran or a retiree from the military," Delia said. "This is exactly the kind of workers that every business in every state wants to attract."
After listening to the presentation by Oliver and Delia, attendees broke off into two groups to discuss ideas for ways to keep exiting military in the state. Those ideas were later presented to the group and will be forwarded to the Military Growth Task Force.
Among the suggestions was increasing communication between service members getting ready to exit the military and organizations that provide information about things available in the civilian sector. While organizations on base attempt to do this through programs such as the Transition Assistance Management Program, often, service members do not participate in those programs until a few weeks before separating from the service.
Jamie Farrelly, who retired as a major from the Marine Corps in September and attended the forum, said he agrees that one of the biggest roadblocks in keeping exiting military in the state is the lack of communication.
"If we could communicate the opportunities, to both the separating Marines that are available for education, for family and for employment and the future options that are coming ... you will retain more," he said.
Farrelly said another issue to consider in regard to exiting military are service members' spouses and their employment opportunities.
"You have a unique opportunity of a very highly educated, very competent work force in the military spouse," he said. "Take care of the families - that's the anchor that's going to keep more people here."
Another suggestion from the work groups was helping exiting military to have realistic salary expectations but also increasing the number of higher paying jobs in eastern North Carolina.
Oliver said having a great community, like that of Onslow County, can be a key element in retaining exiting military.
"If they're going to stay, it's going to be because of the community. Most of them don't have family here so if they do stay it's because of strong community support," she said. "This community understands like no other. I have never in all my time of travel seen a community that embraces the military like this."
Contact Jacksonville/Onslow government reporter Molly DeWitt at 910-219-8455 or mdewitt@freedomenc.com.
Ellie
May 10, 2009 - 5:00 PM
MOLLY K. DEWITT
You can attract new devil dogs, using new tricks.
That was the message Kim Oliver, marketing director for Marine Corps Community Services, presented at the Exiting Military Forum Friday, hosted by the Jacksonville-Onslow Chamber of Commerce.
The forum was an attempt to pinpoint ways in which the community and the state can entice service members exiting the military to stay in North Carolina.
"The importance of the military to North Carolina cannot be diminished," said Al Delia, policy director for the office of the governor. "Exiting military represent something like $3.3 billion in impact in North Carolina."
In a survey conducted by MCCS in January of exiting military, 72 percent of the 284 surveyed indicated they plan to leave North Carolina for another state, while 19 percent planned to seek employment within North Carolina, 3 percent had already secured employment within the state and 6 percent had no idea what they planned to do. The majority of those surveyed, 62 percent, indicated they would not reconsider remaining in the state even if their job or career path was available to them.
Oliver said she believes the missing piece is getting information to the exiting military in advance so that they can make informed decisions about whether or not they wish to stay in the state.
"We almost need to spoon feed the Marines a little more than what we're doing," she said.
A major issue facing exiting military who are job seeking is the stereotype some employers may have that they are nothing more than "bullet stoppers," when in reality, Oliver said, they often have more skills than the average employee.
"What they do in the Marine Corps has vast importance in the civilian sector," she said.
Delia said exiting service members make up a quality work force because they are "disciplined, mature, tech savvy and ready to work," adding that they also pass drug tests and background checks with ease.
"There's no better worker than a veteran or a retiree from the military," Delia said. "This is exactly the kind of workers that every business in every state wants to attract."
After listening to the presentation by Oliver and Delia, attendees broke off into two groups to discuss ideas for ways to keep exiting military in the state. Those ideas were later presented to the group and will be forwarded to the Military Growth Task Force.
Among the suggestions was increasing communication between service members getting ready to exit the military and organizations that provide information about things available in the civilian sector. While organizations on base attempt to do this through programs such as the Transition Assistance Management Program, often, service members do not participate in those programs until a few weeks before separating from the service.
Jamie Farrelly, who retired as a major from the Marine Corps in September and attended the forum, said he agrees that one of the biggest roadblocks in keeping exiting military in the state is the lack of communication.
"If we could communicate the opportunities, to both the separating Marines that are available for education, for family and for employment and the future options that are coming ... you will retain more," he said.
Farrelly said another issue to consider in regard to exiting military are service members' spouses and their employment opportunities.
"You have a unique opportunity of a very highly educated, very competent work force in the military spouse," he said. "Take care of the families - that's the anchor that's going to keep more people here."
Another suggestion from the work groups was helping exiting military to have realistic salary expectations but also increasing the number of higher paying jobs in eastern North Carolina.
Oliver said having a great community, like that of Onslow County, can be a key element in retaining exiting military.
"If they're going to stay, it's going to be because of the community. Most of them don't have family here so if they do stay it's because of strong community support," she said. "This community understands like no other. I have never in all my time of travel seen a community that embraces the military like this."
Contact Jacksonville/Onslow government reporter Molly DeWitt at 910-219-8455 or mdewitt@freedomenc.com.
Ellie