The Mission Continues participating in the National Day of Service in Homewood. Photo by Sean Means
The Heinz Endowments believes strongly that southwestern Pennsylvania’s more than 220,000 veterans — about 50,000 of whom have served in Iraq or Afghanistan — are huge and undervalued assets in our region, and their well-being and reintegration and that of their families are just one example of a national challenge that we are attempting to address.
The Endowment’s Program Director of Veterans Issues Megan Andros, who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom with the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division, penned this op-ed. Learn why now is a critical moment for federal attention to the estimated 200,000 servicemembers who transition from military-to-civilian workforce each year.
Our veterans deserve top-notch support when launching post-military careers, but a new Endowments-supported study reveals few programs and little federal support dedicated to helping them connect with civilian employers or apprenticeships that fully utilize their significant skills. There is limited evidence that the programs are effective, with some having no reported data, evaluation plans or outcome measures.
A new, first-of-its-kind study of veteran-serving, employment-focused nonprofits shows the essential role the nonprofit sector plays in supporting the 150,000 service members who reintegrate into civilian life each year.
The RAND report, funded by The Heinz Endowments, finds that service members seeking help in finding civilian jobs often turn to nonprofits due to a shortfall in assistance provided by the federal government. Despite their critical role, little is known about which nonprofit organizations and employment models are most effective in supporting veterans' employment in the civilian sector.
