Rural Water - Quarter 4, 2017 - 22
FEATURE HIRING VETERANS in the Water Industry i Veterans are a great fit to an industry in need of new professionals BY SANDY SMITH It's something of a match made in heaven. Many water and wastewater operations have difficulty finding workers. Military veterans have trouble finding work. In fact, the unemployment rate for those who enlisted after September 11, 2001 is higher than the overall U.S. unemployment rate. And veterans who are unemployed tend to 22 FOURTH QUARTER 2017 stay out of work longer. According to the Congressional Budget Office, about 50 percent of military personnel file for unemployment benefits immediately after their service tenure-indicating difficulty finding private employment. Need, meet opportunity. "With all the folks expected to retire in abundance, we started asking, 'Why don't we take some of these veterans who are coming home and may not have a career plan to see if they're interested?'" said Lisa Adams, foundation development director for the Texas Rural Water Association Foundation. TRWA has received a grant from the state's veteran's commission that covers much of the costs of the program. The
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