Hiring Our Heroes program is seeking to connect with more local businesses to host transitioning service members and military spouses. Virtual Employer Information Session is planned for June 13th at 3pm. The program has come a long way since its first group of 11 fellows in 2019. Jessica Long, Hiring Our Heroes’ Program Manager of the Corporate Fellowship Program shared new numbers with the Chamber’s Board of Directors on May 25, 2023. Hiring Our Heroes, by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, connects active-duty service members to local businesses for fellowships and job training opportunities preparing them for civilian careers. The program also serves military spouses connecting them with employment opportunities in the region. “I have service members coming to us with over 20 years of experience in the military and they come to us because of our results,” explained Long, who works with the team focused on the Tampa Bay Region. “Our hiring rate has jumped from 82% to 90%.”
“In the last year and a half, I consistently have 90 to 100 applicants. In my current cohort, I had to turn away 45 service members because I don’t have enough companies to host them for their fellowship. In my cohort that starts in August, I already have more than 120 applicants,” explained Long. “What do I want? I want to be meeting with hiring managers who haven’t tapped into our program yet.” Hiring Our Heroes works with small, medium and large size companies, providing services at no cost to the military member or military spouse, or to the host employers. Hiring Our Heroes is funded by the program’s sponsor companies.
For more information, https://www.hiringourheroes.org/employers/hosting-a-fellow/
Local businesses interested in attending Employer Information Session June 13 (3pm via zoom) should contact Jessica Long directly at 202-657-8088.
