Barbara Woodworth

 

 

COMPANIES IN THE MANUFACTURING AND ALLIED SECTORS VALUE THE SKILL SETS, WORK ETHIC, AND LEADERSHIP THESE QUALIFIED VETERANS BRING TO THE JOB.

 

DESPITE REPORTS TO THE CONTRARY, MANUFACTURING IS EXPERIENCING A GROWTH SPURT, REPORTS TOM DUBIN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF EVANSTON, IL-HEADQUARTERED MANUFACTURERS’ NEWS, INC. THE COMPANY’S EDITORIAL TEAM CONTACTS NEARLY 400,000 U.S. MANUFACTURERS SEVERAL TIMES EACH YEAR TO ENSURE UP-TO-DATE ACCURATE INFORMATION REGARDING YEAR-TO- YEAR EMPLOYEE AND PLANT COUNTS. “WHILE U.S. MANUFACTURERS MAY NEVER AGAIN SEE THE EMPLOYMENT LEVELS OF 30 YEARS AGO DUE TO TECHNOLOGY AND AUTOMATION, PRODUCTIVITY IS ON THE UPSWING,” DUBIN SAYS. INCREASED LABOR FOREIGN COSTS AND CHEAPER DOMESTIC ENERGY ARE TWO MAIN REASONS SOME MANUFACTURERS ARE NOW BRINGING PRODUCTION HOME.

 

THE GOOD NEWS, HOWEVER, DOESN’T STOP THERE. INDUSTRIES THAT INSURE MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS PERFORM AT THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL ARE ALSO IN HIRING MODE. THIS COMBINATION BODES WELL FOR VETERANS IN THE JOB MARKET, ESPECIALLY AS MORE AND MORE BUSINESSES SEE, AND ACT UPON, THE VALUE OF EMPLOYING OUR NATION’S FORMER SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN.

 

WORKING AT DYNCORP INTERNATIONAL, AND SERVING THE COUNTRY

IT WAS ALWAYS CLINTON BARKLEY’S DESIRE TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY AND, AS CORPORAL, 4TH RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION, UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS (USMC), HE DID SO WITH DISTINCTION. DESPITE A MILITARY-RELATED INJURY IN IRAQ, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF HIS LEFT LEG ABOVE THE KNEE AND REQUIRING EXTENSIVE MEDICAL TREATMENT—AMOUNTING TO TEN SURGERIES AND PHYSICAL THERAPY—HIS DESIRE TO SERVE CONTINUED. RECOGNIZING THAT HIS CAREER PATH WAS DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY HIS INJURY HE PERUSED HIS OPTIONS, AWARE THAT EVEN A DESK JOB COULD BE A CHALLENGE AT TIMES. IN 2011, HE FOUND THE RIGHT FIT AND FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS HE HAS HELD THE POSITION OF OPERATIONS MANAGER AT 20,000+-EMPLOYEE TYSONS CORNER, VA-HEADQUARTERED DYNCORP INTERNATIONAL (WWW.DYN-INTL.COM).

 

DI provides sophisticated aviation, logistics, training, intelligence, and operational solutions all over the globe, often working with U.S. military to ensure the success of their operations.

 

According to Eric Dodson, senior recruiting manager at Worldwide Recruiting and Staffing Services LLC (WRSS), a wholly owned subsidiary of DynCorp International LLC, DynCorp International (DI) recognizes the experience and dedication that veterans contribute to its business as employees, business partners, and suppliers. For the past seven consecutive years the company was ranked among the nation’s Top 100 Military-Friendly Employers. Named to the Military Times list of “Best for Vets” employers in 2014, the company holds several other veteran-related accolades. “In word and deed, DynCorp International affirms its corporate belief in the value of veteran employees and suppliers and offers extraordinary opportunities and challenging assignments to those who share its commitment to quality and service,” Dodson says.

 

Barkley knows that first-hand. “I know how important the service-related work the company does is to our country and our country’s commitment to principles and values. DynCorp International offers many of the opportunities that originally attracted me to the military, such as focusing on leadership and professional development and affording opportunities to work on important and complex problems,” he states. “DI values the training and expertise the military provides and does an excellent job of translating and utilizing previous military experience.”

 

Tasked with coordinating business operations as part of a program management office, Barkley facilitates information and data dissemination across multiple worldwide projects to the company’s management and corporate offices. “I credit my military background with fostering my success,” says Barkley, who holds a bachelor of arts from Texas Christian University and willingly takes on responsibilities seemingly beyond his expertise. “Thanks to the USMC, I’ve become more flexible and adapt more easily, both important assets in the changing service-related business environment in which I am engaged.”

 

Barkley enjoys working in government services, a sector that frequently impacts the manufacturing industry. “The work is interesting, challenging, and important, and the people I work with are extraordinary teachers, co-workers, and leaders,” says Barkley. He strongly recommends that veterans interested in similar employment take advantage of computer, writing, and project planning training available to them. For veterans looking to continue service to their country as well as work with others who share their sense of duty, Barkley recommends DynCorp International.

 

Dodson agrees. Retired from the United States Army in 2004, he has 20 years of military and civilian recruiting experience. Managing recruiting activities and resources for Dyn- Corp International, in addition to serving as the primary contact for the company’s military veteran’s outreach program, he says, “DynCorp International is committed to compliance with ADA and other laws that protect the rights of all people with disabilities and proactively provides a multitude of reasonable accommodations as needed.”

 

BUILDING A SATISFYING CAREER AT NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING

AFTER TEN YEARS OF ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE AS AN INTERIOR COMMUNICATIONS ELECTRICIAN IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY SUBMARINE FORCE, GEORGEMORRIS III FOUND HIMSELF IN UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY. LEFT WITH COGNITIVE AND MEMORY DISORDERS, EPILEPSY, AND SCARRING ON THE BRAIN THAT COVERED THE MAJORITY OF HIS RIGHT TEMPORAL LOBE DUE TO ENCEPHALITIS, HE WAS DETERMINED NOT TO ALLOW HIS DISABILITIES TO LIMIT HIS EVERYDAY FUNCTIONS. RECALLING DIFFICULT DAYS EARLY ON, MORRIS SAYS, “MY MEMORY WAS AFFECTED, REQUIRING ME TO TEACH MYSELF TO REMEMBER AND CARRY OUT BASIC FUNCTIONS.” REALIZING THAT HE WOULD NEVER RETURN TO THE WAY HE WAS, HE ADDS, “OVER TIME I ADJUSTED TO MY ‘NEW NORMAL’ AND BEGAN PREPARING TO GET BACK TO WORK. BEING RETIRED NAVY, I LOOKED FOR A POSITION WHERE I COULD USE MY NAVAL EXPERIENCE.”

 

For Morris, Newport News Shipbuilding (nns.huntingtoningalls.com), a 23,000-employee division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), was a good fit, given his significant on-the-job experience with mechanical equipment and certification as a SUB SAFE quality assurance inspector. As nuclear quality inspector 2, he certifies that all work is accomplished in complete compliance with procedures and drawings to ensure reactor plant safety. “Mine is a very satisfying career,” says Morris, who has been seizure free for the past 14 years. “There are not many places where you can work on a massive project and get to see your work in action on TV and in the news.” He comments, too, on the importance of manufacturing, which he contends is vital for our country. “Shipbuilding will be a growth industry as long as the U.S. has a Navy,” he states.

 

Noting Newport News Shipbuilding is very veteranfriendly, “it was the first company that did not judge me or hesitate to hire me because of my disability,” says Morris. “After being forced into retirement I still wanted to serve. Now instead of putting on a uniform, I put on a hard hat and go to work on the ships that protect our country.”

 

A member of several encephalitis societies and the company’s Veteran Employee Resource Group (VERG), Morris willingly shares the words –now tattooed on his arm –he used for motivation during his recovery: “You will forever be limited by your disability, only if you allow your disability to forever limit you!”

 

As director, talent acquisition at Newport News, VAheadquartered Newport News Shipbuilding, Cindi Wolfe highlights the company’s commitment to employing veterans and disabled veterans. “Twenty-four percent of new hires in 2013 were military veterans,” she remarks, attributing this outcome to having a dedicated recruiter/military liaison who performs outreach functions throughout the Hampton Roads/D.C. areas working closely with military transition and government employment agency counterparts, including the Virginia Employment Commission, V-3 (a Vet-STRONG program), and Opportunity, Inc., as well as serving on the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee.

 

Additionally, talent acquisition staff participates in numerous recruitment events, posting career opportunities on several military recruitment websites and hosting workshops and information sessions with local military transition representatives. “Together Huntington Ingalls and Newport News Shipbuilding employ thousands of veterans and reservists and are committed to hiring candidates with prior military experience. We encourage veterans to continue their mission by joining us as we protect America by building the finest military ships in the world. The discipline, skill set and work ethic of military veterans make them a great asset for our company,” says Wolfe.

 

Information on specific opportunities for military veterans is available at: http://www.huntingtoningalls.com/careers/veterans.

 

AT GE AVIATION, A PASSION REALIZED

A LOVE OF AVIATION DEFINES JOE GAVIGAN’S LIFE. HIS DISABILITY DOES NOT. A GRADUATE OF THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY WITH A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, GAVIGAN’S DREAM OF FLYING FIGHTER AIRCRAFT CEASED WHEN HE WAS INJURED, PARALYZED FROM THE WAIST DOWN, AND URGED TO TAKE A MILITARY DISCHARGE.

 

Despite a permanent disability and need for subsequent therapy, Gavigan’s passion for aviation did not diminish. “I looked for a job that would allow me to stay in that field while accommodating my physical therapy needs,” says Gavigan, who additionally holds a master of science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Cincinnati.

 

That position materialized 13 years ago and Gavigan now serves as senior staff engineer, LEAP-1B test leader at the Cincinnati location of GE Aviation (www.ge.com). While he does not believe his disability held him back from entering the workforce, he acknowledges “many people were not sure what to expect from a paraplegic working in the aviation environment.” He also points out that although people might have a natural hesitation and curiosity about an individual’s disability, in his case once work started people were very accepting.

 

Noting that his military training prepared him well for working in teams—and crediting the military with fostering leadership skills veterans can transfer to civilian work capacities— Gavigan finds that his current position designing and testing state-of-the-art jet engines enables him to stay fully engaged in the aviation sector. “Leading development testing of newly designed engines is incredibly rewarding. It not only offers many engineering challenges, it is fun and the reason I got into this business,” he states. As the test leader for a new commercial engine program, Gavigan oversees planning and conducts fullscale testing to ensure that proper FAA certification and internal testing meet all requirements.

 

Underscoring the fact that many veterans acquired both experience and expertise leading small teams centered on specific tasks and/or missions while in the service, Gavigan contends former military personnel provide employers with builtin leadership skills. “Veterans are good at getting to know and work with their team members in much the same way they worked with the men and women they served with. The military brings out leadership that leads to success in the workplace,” he states.

 

Appreciative of his many opportunities at GE Aviation, Gavigan says, “Despite my disability, my career has included outstanding opportunities, from testing state-of-the-art military engine designs, to traveling to Europe to conduct an engine test, to being aboard a plane’s initial test flight as a particular engine first takes to the skies.”

 

Gavigan acknowledges that it is part of his DNA to volunteer for a myriad of projects. He advises others with disabilities to do the same and not be afraid to ask for what they want and can do. He recently started a People with Disabilities Network at GE Aviation to grow awareness about disabilities and to enable employees with disabilities to support one another. The company’s business leaders have embraced Gavigan’s efforts, and today his initial group has expanded well beyond his Cincinnati location. “The global size of GE Aviation—approximately 40,000 employees worldwide—has allowed the network to grow tremendously, which is great to see,” he says.

 

RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF VETERANS AT POLARIS INDUSTRIES

VETERANS AND DISABLED VETERANS INTERESTED IN A CAREER WITH A COMPANY THAT RECOGNIZES THE INCREDIBLE VALUE AND ATTRIBUTES THAT MEMBERS OF THE ARMED SERVICES POSSESS NEED LOOK NO FURTHER THAN MEDINA, MN-HEADQUARTERED POLARIS INDUSTRIES (WWW.POLARIS.COM), CONTENDS STAFFING MANAGER AMY FOSSUM. IN THE BUSINESS OF DESIGNING, ENGINEERING, MANUFACTURING, AND MARKETING INNOVATIVE HIGH-QUALITY OFF-ROAD VEHICLES, COMPANY PRODUCTS INCLUDE ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES (ATVS), THE POLARIS RANGER AND RZR SIDE-BY-SIDE VEHICLES, MOTORCYCLES, AND ON-ROAD ELECTRIC-HYBRID POWERED VEHICLES. A GLOBAL SALES LEADER FOR SNOWMOBILES AND OFF-ROAD MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION, POLARIS IS ALSO AN ESTABLISHED PRESENCE IN THE HEAVYWEIGHT CRUISER AND TOURING MOTORCYCLE MARKET.

 

With a proactive approach to recruiting veterans and disabled veterans for employment opportunities, Fossum says, “Polaris believes that more often than not members of the armed services and veterans naturally possess skills and qualities that align with core company values.” As part of Polaris’ commitment to employing veterans and disabled veterans, the company sponsors and attends a number of military recruitment events across the country. Highlighting positive results, Fossum mentions that Polaris recently hired veterans through military recruiting events in Texas, Kentucky, and Washington, DC. At each event, company recruiters “look forward to meeting more of our country’s veterans and disabled veterans with the hope of providing them with great jobs at Polaris,” she says.

 

Fossum and her staff also regularly post job vacancies on Websites aimed specifically at providing employment opportunities for veterans and their spouses. “Military Spouse Corporate Career Network, Veteransenterprise.com. Vetsuccess.gov/ jobs, Save Our Veterans, VetCentral, H2h.Jobs and veterans.Jobs are some such sites,” she remarks. In addition to various talent acquisition responsibilities, Fossum oversees the company’s military and diversity recruitment initiatives and assists with Affirmative Action planning initiatives.

 

With a B.S. in commerce in human resources management from DePaul University, Fossum is proud to serve in her current capacity where she does her utmost to see that equal employment opportunities are extended to all.

 

A COMMITMENT TO VET HIRING AT MANTECH IINTERNATIONAL CORPORATION

WITH FOUR YEARS OF SERVICE AS A COMMAND AND CONTROL SPECIALIST IN THE U.S. AIR FORCE, 24 YEARS AS A MILITARY SPOUSE, SEVEN YEARS AS A SOCIAL SERVICES INVESTIGATOR, FAMILY PRESERVATION COUNSELOR, AND FAMILY THERAPIST, AND TEN YEARS IN HR, KIMBERLY HIGH SMITH IS WELL QUALIFIED FOR HER POSITION AS MANAGER, EEO, EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AND DIVERSITY AT FAIRFAX, VA-HEADQUARTERED MANTECH INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION (WWW.MANTECH.COM). SHE HOLDS ASSOCIATE AND BACHELOR’S DEGREES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE (TOKYO), A MASTER’S IN HUMAN RELATIONS (MHR) FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA, AND CERTIFICATION AS A SENIOR PROFESSIONAL IN HUMAN RESOURCES (SPHR).

 

Highsmith’s current duties include ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws. Recognized for its strong commitment to mission accomplishment within the technology sector, she says, “ManTech values the unique skill sets, strong work ethic, and mission focus demonstrated by veterans and disabled veterans.”

 

ManTech, a leading provider of innovative technologies and solutions for mission-critical national security programs for the intelligence community, works with the Departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security, Energy and Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the healthcare and space communities; and other U.S. federal government customers.

 

To reinforce the company’s continued commitment to serving veterans, its office of Military and Veterans Affairs (MVAO) was created to help recruit, develop, and retain veterans. According to ManTech’s director of military programs, Charlie Miles, a retired U.S. Marine Corps KC-130 pilot, ManTech is a national leader in veteran employment, with 50% of its employees having a military background. The company, a member of the 100,000 Jobs Mission, has received recognition for Best for Vets Employer for 2014 by Military Times, Top 100 2014 Military Friendly Employer by GI Jobs magazine and Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for veterans by Civilanjobs.com, to name a few.

 

Since partnering with TMG-led Vet-STRONG (see sidebar) in 2012, when it joined the Virginia Values Veterans (V3) employment initiative, ManTech has continued to work with the Vet- STRONG team attending numerous veteran-employment training events and providing best practice presentations to other Virginia-based companies interested in hiring veterans. ManTech’s MVAO now serves more than 3,500 ManTech veteran employees. According to Highsmith, this office provides veterans with a wide range of veteran-related resources that include benefits, professional development and mentoring assistance—a fitting position for this 45-year-old company dedicated to uncompromising integrity, ethics, innovation, diversity and inclusion.

 

Job seekers are encouraged to visit the company’s career site: http://www.mantech.com/careers/Pages/uscareers.aspx.

 

Helping Companies Hire Veterans

Designed to incentivize companies to recapitalize their workforce with veterans—recognized as some of the best American talent available—VA-headquartered Training Modernization Group (TMG) offers the Vet-STRONG Certification Program to companies across America. “Our mission is to energize America’s workforce through recruiting, hiring, training, and retaining veterans,” says Joe Barto, TMG founder and president (www.tmgva.com).

 

Vet-STRONG (www.vetstrong.com) offers five public or non-for-profit programs—AME AME (Association for Manufacturing Excellence) Values Veterans, Virginia Values Veterans (V-3), Michigan Values Veterans, AUSA (Association of the United States Army), and ASTD (American Society of Training and Development) Values Veterans. “The overall goal is to develop a national approach for hiring veterans by creating and initiating a long-term transformation process that, when fully integrated, will benefit companies of all sizes,” says Barto.

 

For employers interested in hiring and retaining veterans and increasing their veteran pipeline, TMG is there to help. Partnering with the Association for Manufacturing Excellence, interested employers throughout the nation are offered training, coaching, and recognition in hiring and retaining veterans.