The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“INTRODUCTION OF THE HIRE VETERANS ACT OF 2011” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1996-E1997 on Nov. 3, 2011.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF THE HIRE VETERANS ACT OF 2011
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HON. BRIAN P. BILBRAY
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, as Americans celebrate Veterans' Day this year it is important to take time and reflect on the infinite contributions and sacrifices the men, women, and families of those who have served in our Armed Forces. Our commitment to veterans should not end with their service, we must show our gratitude by offering them every opportunity to experience the American dream that they fought to protect.
With a veteran unemployment rate of 22 percent nationwide, much more needs to be done to create an environment that helps the private sector hire men and women who have served our country in uniform, more than 250,000 of whom live in San Diego County. That is why I am pleased to introduce the Help Inspire and Retrain our Exceptional (HIRE) Veterans Act of 2011 along with my colleague, Congressman John Barrow of Georgia.
Over the next two years, as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan begin to wind down, more veterans will find themselves searching for jobs in the civilian workforce. One of the biggest obstacles for unemployed veterans is connecting to employers. The HIRE Veterans Act of 2011 helps overcome this obstacle and provides opportunities to valuable members of our community with the resources they need to transition from the armed services to a civilian workforce. This legislation will authorize grants to be awarded by the Department of Commerce to local Chambers of Commerce to create job training, apprenticeship, and internship programs for local veterans.
The time to act is now. As part of the record, I am submitting letters of support from the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and the San Diego North Chamber of Commerce. These letters emphasize the importance of this legislation and describe how local Chambers and businesses can help HIRE veterans.
Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce,
November 2, 2011.Hon. Brian Bilbray,Member of Congress, Rayburn House Office Building,
Washington, DC.
Dear Congressman Bilbray: I am writing to support the proposed Help Inspire and Retrain our Exceptional (HIRE) Veterans Act you are proposing in the upcoming session.
The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce is the 10th largest Chamber in the State of California and the second largest in San Diego County. We are located adjacent to the large Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton and as such see first-hand the serious unemployment problem facing our young veterans. In response to the problem we have created the Boots in Business Military Mentoring Initiative to allow as many of the 8,000 veterans leaving the service from Camp Pendleton each calendar year to mentor with civilian employers across the county.
The main issue facing these veterans is competing for jobs with civilians in the region is their ability to see first-hand the types of jobs in the marketplace and learn what employers are looking for when they hire someone both in experience and education.
Our mission is to help military personnel in the last weeks of their active duty term learn about the business world through job shadowing 60 to 90 days prior to their discharge date. By showing them what it's like to work in a variety of professions, local companies will help veterans make smart future career and educational decisions. Our program (a Memorandum of Understanding MOU) is a collaborative effort between the Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and many local businesses that are willing to provide a variety of job shadowing experiences to active military members and their spouses as they prepare to enter civilian life.
Military members are allowed up to 30 days of paid Temporary Additional Duty to be mentored, so they can shadow as many civilian jobs as possible during that time. A mentoring activity can be one day, one week or even one month in duration, depending on the goals of the veteran, the number of positions shadowed, and the depth of involvement with each position.
We are providing resume writing, job interviews, and first-hand experience test driving as many jobs that they desire in order to see if the job fits how they can compete to get it. There is no charge for our program and their spouses are equally allowed to participate.
If the veteran decides to return to his or her home town we have arranged with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to contact the local city chamber of commerce and notify them of the arrival of a new veteran and have them arrange business introductions were possible.
We endorse your proposed legislation 100%. The soaring unemployment rate adds another layer of difficulty to the job search experience. Your legislation will go a long way toward allowing Chambers across the country with veterans in their community have a fair chance to be hired and begin a meaningful career.
Respectfully,
Ted Owens,
President/CEO.
Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.
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San Diego North,
Chamber of Commerce,
November 2, 2011.Subject: Support of ``HIRE Veterans Act of 2011''
Hon. Brian Bilbray,U.S. Representative, 2410 Rayburn Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Congressman Bilbray: We, the San Diego North Chamber of Commerce, support your proposed legislation titled, ``Help Inspire and Retrain our Exceptional Veterans Act of 2011.'' In a time of economic uncertainty and high unemployment, your legislation would allow for local chambers of commerce to provide assistance for those who have honorably served.
As organizations that are familiar with local employer needs and that are able to provide workforce training, Chambers of Commerce are a bridge between businesses with open positions and job seekers such as our returning military men and women. This bill will ensure that our veterans are better prepared for job opportunities in our communities by funding training workshops, resume writing and interview classes, and career coaching.
In areas like San Diego, where returning military often choose to retire, our organizations hear from veterans on a constant basis looking for career development advice and jobs. This bill will allow these veterans to be better served and better prepared as they seek opportunities after their service.
This Act will help prepare our veterans and help local economies get back on their feet. For these reasons, the San Diego North Chamber of Commerce supports the ``HIRE Veterans Act of 2011.''
Sincerely,
Debra Rosen,
President and CEO,San Diego North Chamber of Commerce.
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