In addition to his package of tax credits for businesses that hire veterans, President Obama this week is promoting a new program that allows veterans to receive personalized case management and career center counseling.
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The President has issued a challenge to private sector firms, to commit to hiring or training 100,000 unemployed veterans and their spouses by the end of 2013. He's calling on Congress to pass a package of incentives, including the Returning Heroes Tax Credit, which would give a tax break to employers who hire veterans who have been unemployed between one and six months.
Garett Repenhagen is Director of Transition Programs for Denver-based Veterans Green Jobs, a national nonprofit that helps veterans find meaningful employment after transitioning to civilian life. He says connecting employers with veterans is a win-win.
“If the current legislation that’s in there does pass, it should open up some more advantages and tax incentives for companies to really be able to take the risk and be able to hire some of these folks that will ultimately be probably some of the best employees they ever had.”
Repenhagen says many veterans return home to face dismal job prospects. As of June, roughly one million veterans were unemployed nationwide, and 1.5 million are at risk of homelessness due to poverty and lack of support networks.
