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In 1973, when the United States eliminated the military draft, our country became a nation completely dependent on volunteers to step up and serve. Ever since, through good times and bad over the past 50 years, our country has been defended by people who voluntarily accepted that challenge. During this year’s Military Appreciation Month, we are especially mindful of the debt we owe our veterans.
The reasons for which young people decide to join the military are varied, and sometimes these decisions are deeply personal. But because of the serious nature of the commitment, most volunteers reach their decision after considering their personal relationship with the principle of service.
On the day our nation’s sons and daughters enlist to join our armed forces, they step forward at least in part because of principles they hold dear. And they do so with an expectation that they will gain valuable skills and experiences to support ongoing success in life when their term of service is complete.
Returning Home with Hope
For members of the military, the sacrifice of service does not immediately end when their tour of duty is complete. These men and women – numbering nearly 20 million in the United States alone – often face difficult and ongoing challenges when returning to the life they knew before joining the military.
It is widely understood that our nation’s veterans often struggle with the transition back to civilian life. In many cases, the skills and expertise they acquired during their military service do not directly transfer to the civilian workforce. For too many others, their service to our country has left them with painful injuries that will fill their future with ongoing struggles.
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As a country, the United States has tried to ease that transition for centuries. The very first soldiers in our country’s founding struggle were awarded pensions after service. Later, in the aftermath of the Civil War, individual states began opening homes for veterans and providing lifelong medical care.
When the twin world wars reshaped the world in the first half of the 20th Century, the American veteran population was reshaped as well. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was created to serve military men and women in their civilian lives after service.
For veterans returning home, and especially for those whose time in service involved military conflict, the hope for a successful civilian life with a meaningful career feels like a basic human right. They are not alone in feeling this way. In 2021, there were more than 386,000 unemployed veterans in the United States.
In awareness of this fact, programs like the VA’s Transition Assistance Program help veterans from every service branch find rewarding careers at home. In almost every case, these programs focus on training and education to support the transition from military service back into civilian life.
While the government’s efforts to ease the transition from military life back into civilian life have helped countless veterans over the years, there is still a constant need for other individuals and organizations outside of government to assist with this effort. To put it simply, there is more the private sector can do to help our servicemen and women find the rewarding lives they have earned through their service on our behalf.
Source: FSG Media
Accepting a New Mission
The VA’s Transition Assistance Program provides a wonderful start for veterans looking to turn a page and begin a new chapter in their lives. The program provides seminars and numerous job fairs in different industries.
Through job fairs, veterans can learn about the companies that not only welcome candidates with military experience, but actively seek them out. FSG is one of those companies.
FSG is a proud employer of United States armed forces veterans, and we greatly value the experience and leadership skills that veterans bring to the job. At our company, former military members work at every level of our business, as electrical apprentices, journeymen and master electricians, sales representatives, project managers, and members of our company’s management team.
The true spirit of FSG’s ongoing veteran outreach efforts can be found in our Veteran Apprentice Training Program. The program offers veterans an opportunity to get paid while receiving no-cost training that results in certification as an apprentice electrician.
Accepted candidates get more than just a job, however. With FSG, veterans have the opportunity to enjoy a long and rewarding career in the electrical trade.
Veteran apprentices at FSG can continue to learn and grow. They have access to in-house instructors and courses in traditional classrooms as well as instruction offered remotely. Through a combination of on-the-job training and professional instruction utilizing the NCCER curriculum, veterans gain the skills and experience required to attain their journeyman electrician certification.
FSG’s Veteran Apprentice Training Program also takes advantage of a partnership with Hard Hat Heroes, an organization that helps veterans get education credit and recognition for the specific skills and training they received while serving.
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An apprenticeship through FSG is a great opportunity for transitioning veterans. Participants can earn a living wage while they train, but most importantly they can receive a set of skills that will carry them to even greater heights. Experienced electricians in the United States earn a very good living.
Opportunities for electricians exist all across the country, and the average electrician earns $56,900 per year and that number is increasing yearly. There is also great potential for much higher earnings as electricians gain experience on the job.
In a recent newsletter, the non-profit organization Hire Heroes USA listed FSG as one of its featured training partners. Interested applicants can take comfort in knowing that FSG has a long history of success in working with veterans.
Success After Service – Making the Transition
At FSG, we strongly believe that it is our responsibility to support U.S. veterans as they work to transition out of the military and back into a rewarding civilian life. We have seen how much a good job and a rewarding career can mean not only to veterans but to their families as well.
We are especially proud of the endorsement we have received from Hire Heroes USA. As the most successful veteran employment non-profit organization in the country, Hire Heroes USA impacts lives every day.
Several of FSG’s Veteran employees attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Source: FSG Media
While we strongly recommend that veterans consider a career in the electrical trade, we know that other opportunities exist today as well. Hire Heroes USA is working hard to match veterans with opportunities, and we support their work because we believe that our communities are stronger when we utilize and support our skilled and talented veteran workforce.
Returning the Gift to Veterans
The history of military service in our country is full of stories about ordinary citizens standing up to do extraordinary things. That history is best honored when veterans find hope and purpose through job training and placement once their time in military service has ended.
As men and women move through the military life cycle and transition out of active duty, the spirit of service should not end. Instead, it should shift to those lucky enough to have lived with the protections afforded by the volunteers who fill out our military ranks each year.
For those who have received the gift of someone else’s voluntary military service, it is only right to give back. At FSG, we understand that obligation, and we work hard to provide every opportunity we can to veterans interested in good jobs, long careers, and strong families.
If you are a veteran of America’s armed forces, we urge you to take a look at our Veteran’s Training Program as well as our other available job openings. FSG is always hiring determined military men and women, and we would like nothing more than to talk to you today. If interested, click the banner above or fill out a career inquiry form and one of our team members will reach out to you.
Finally, although the sentiment is often expressed as a common social reflex, please know that we mean it when we say that all of us at FSG sincerely thank you for your service to our country.
