THE 2014 FENCE INDUSTRY “HIRE A HERO” VETERANS EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

 

PROGRAM BENEFITS

How Hiring Veterans Benefits YOUR Company

1. By virtue of their military training, veterans bring an accelerated learning curve to
   the job, shortening training times and lowering training costs
2. Having been exposed to leadership development in the service, veterans have the capability of moving into supervisory roles more quickly in the workplace
3. Veterans understand the value of teamwork, making them more dedicated to working effectively with others in their work environment
4. Veterans have been exposed to a multi-cultural team, allowing them to assimilate more easily into a diverse and inclusive workforce
5. Military veterans have performed under intense pressure, giving them the experience and confidence to work within tight time constraints and budgets
6. Veterans have an ingrained respect for procedures, making them easily adaptable to regimented tasks and meticulous adherence to directions
7. Veterans have worked with state-of-the-art materials and machinery, making it easy for them to accept and adjust to automation and new technologies
8. Veterans come from an environment of high integrity and trust, and bring that culture to the private sector workplace
9. Veterans are conscious of, and have respect for, health and safety standards, a must in the fence industry
10. Many veterans, especially those wounded in action, have experience in overcoming adversity and are less likely to be discouraged by normal setbacks in the workplace
11. Program participation will allow firms to use the official “Hire Vets First” and other participant’s logos on company marketing materials

 

How Hiring Veterans Helps the Fence Industry

There are many reasons why this program is a “natural” for the fence industry, including:

1. Employee turnover is costly to employers, who must bear new recruitment and training costs whenever employees leave
2. The military transitions thousands of potential employees back into the private sector each year, creating a steady stream of workers
3. The fence industry can work within existing military and private employment services and avoid having to create a new system to focus on veterans hiring
4. It will enhance the industry’s image as a supporter of those who choose military Service
5. It provides AFA Chapters with an excellent way to expand their programming, create a relationship with local veterans hiring centers, and create goodwill in Chapter areas
6. It is a natural tie-in to the AFA Field Training School and should encourage additional participants and/or scholarship sponsors
7. It will enhance the image of AFA, CLFMI, and the industry when dealing with government agencies, public officials, etc.
8. It will encourage (potentially) thousands of young people to consider the fence industry as a career choice

 

How Hiring Veterans Helps the Fence Industry

There are many reasons why this program is a “natural” for the fence industry, including:

1. Employee turnover is costly to employers, who must bear new recruitment and training costs whenever employees leave
2. The military transitions thousands of potential employees back into the private sector each year, creating a steady stream of workers
3. The fence industry can work within existing military and private employment services and avoid having to create a new system to focus on veterans hiring
4. It will enhance the industry’s image as a supporter of those who choose military Service
5. It provides AFA Chapters with an excellent way to expand their programming, create a relationship with local veterans hiring centers, and create goodwill in Chapter areas
6. It is a natural tie-in to the AFA Field Training School and should encourage additional participants and/or scholarship sponsors
7. It will enhance the image of AFA, CLFMI, and the industry when dealing with government agencies, public officials, etc.
8. It will encourage (potentially) thousands of young people to consider the fence industry as a career choice

 

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS

The Fence Industry Hire a Hero Program is designed to make hiring veterans as uncomplicated as possible for industry employers. Rather than creating a new system, CLFMI and AFA are seeking ways to connect you (the industry employer) to existing veterans hiring methods. The goal of the program is to put employers and veterans in touch with each other and give appropriate recognition to employers for their efforts to identify and hire veterans.

There are two basic classifications for “veterans” under the Department of Labor’s Hire Vets First program. The first classification is veterans who have left the military and are registered with local career centers in their home towns. These veterans seek work through contacts with their Local Veterans Employment Representative (LVER).

The second group consists of military personnel who are still serving but are transitioning out in the near future and are seeking employment in the private sector (some for the first time). These people work through their local Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Manager, and frequently are seeking work in or near their home towns.

Program emphasis note: While this program is designed to provide the benefits listed above to both the employer and the veteran, an important element of the creation of this program was finding a way for the industry to reach out to disabled veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Special recognition will be given by the Fence Industry “Hire a Hero” Program Coordinating Committee to those companies and AFA Chapters who make a concerted effort to find employment for disabled veterans.

THREE OPTIONS FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE FENCE INDUSRY HIRE A HERO PROGRAM

1) Job Opening Listings

Employers can list their job openings on the official veterans hiring website. To list your company’s job openings and job descriptions on this site, go to www.militaryconnection.com.

2) Contact Your Local LVER or TAP Manager

Most military bases have LVER and TAP Manager programs in place and ready to assist employers in finding veterans looking for employment. To identify the LVER nearest you, go to http://www.dol.gov/vets/, click on the One Stop Career Center under the Employer Zone, and follow the prompts to identify and contact the LVER in your area.

TAP Managers are broken out by branches of the military.

Army: www.militaryconnection.com/armybase.asp

Navy: www.militaryconnection.com/navybase.asp

Marines: www.militaryconnection.com/marinebases.asp

Air Force: www.militaryconnection.com/airforcebase.asp

3) Participate in a Job Fair

Several major transitioning centers hold Job Fairs on a regular basis. These fairs are held regularly throughout the year at various transition centers. Your firm can participate by contacting the staffer in charge of these fairs. Booth space at these fairs is very inexpensive (sometimes no charge at all) so call early. For updated information go to www.taonline.com/MilitaryJobfairs/

Major transition programs serve military bases in the following areas:

• Norfolk, VA.
• San Diego, CA
• Jacksonville, FL
• Ft. Hood, TX
• Washington, D.C.
• Seattle, WA
• Georgia
• Colorado
• Arizona
• Ft. Sill, OK

In addition, there are frequently smaller job fairs developed at local military bases. Contact the LVER or TAP Manager at your local military base for details.

RECOGNITION OPPORTUNITIES

There will several ways that companies will receive recognition for their participation in the Fence Industry Hire a Hero Veterans Employment Program.

1. Participating firms will be permitted to use the official HireVetsFirst logo on their company marketing materials, website, etc.
2. Participating firms will receive special listings on the AFA and CLFMI websites.
3. All participating firms will receive recognition at FenceTech ’14.
4. Special awards/recognitions will made at FenceTech ’14 to the firms which institute the most effective veterans hiring programs
5. There will be special recognition for AFA Chapters which sponsor Chapter-wide veteran’s employment outreach activities during the year.

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HOW TO PARTICIPATE

To be an official participant in the Fence Industry Hire a Hero Veterans Employment Program (and to qualify for company recognitions) you should fill out the enclosed form and return it to the address listed at the bottom of the form.  

PARTICIPATION REGISTRATION FOR THE FENCE INDUSTRY “HIRE A HERO” VETERANS EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM – 2014-2015

DOWNLOAD THE PDF COPY HERE

Please return this form to either address:

Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute (CLFMI)
10015 Old Columbia Rd. Suite B215
Columbia, MD 21046

American Fence Association
800 Roosevelt Road Bldg C, Suite 312
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137