SLATE To Help Local Returning Veterans

On August 5, President Obama announced a comprehensive plan to lower veteran's unemployment and transition them to civilian jobs. Among these initiatives is the recently-enacted Veterans Gold Card Program, which will help provide post-9/11 veterans with the services they need to succeed in today's job market.

Through the Gold Card Program, 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers nationwide, including the SLATE Missouri Career Centers, will provide post-9/11 veterans with six months of personalized, intensive services. By downloading a gold card at dol.gov/vets/goldcard.html and presenting it at his or her local career center, an eligible veteran can receive such services as:

• Skills assessments
• Career coaching, and
• Job-search assistance

SLATE's Employment and Training Advisors will help connect eligible veterans with employers and job banks, work with them on translating their military specialties into civilian skills and provide guidance on training opportunities and GI Bill benefits.

"Our returning veterans have performed above and beyond the call of duty," said City of St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay. "They have represented our country with their courage, character, and skills in such places as Afghanistan and Iraq, and they will be just as valuable as part of the workforce here at home."

As of September, over 900,000 veterans were unemployed and the jobless rate for post-9/11 era veterans was 11.5 percent, about two percentage points higher than the general population, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Veterans seeking Gold Card services can also benefit from My Next Move for Veterans (MyNextMove.org), an online quick search engine that matches prior military experience and skills with civilian careers and related training.