Corporate Fellowship Program Adds Two Cities, New Sponsor
The Corporate Fellowship Program is on target to have an impressive 2019.
Its program managers are building on last year’s success through a three-pronged approach of growing, launching and expanding the 12-week program that provides transitioning service members and military spouses with professional training and hands-on experience in the civilian workforce.
Chicago, St. Louis Join Corporate Fellowship Program
Currently, the program has 12 locations across the United States and most sites are located near military installations. HOH Executive Director Chuck Hodges announced the program will add two new locations – Chicago and St. Louis – in 2019.
“Many veterans want to return back to their hometowns after serving their country and find meaningful employment,” Hodges said. “Chicago and St. Louis are great locations with established businesses that want to hire veterans and support their transitions. We are thrilled our Corporate Fellowship Program will help businesses and veterans connect in a format that is proven to work.”
The military installations near Chicago are Scott Air Force Base, Rock Island Arsenal Army Base and Naval Station Great Lakes. Naval Station Great Lakes, nicknamed “The Quarterdeck of the Navy,” is 40 miles from Chicago and home to the Navy’s only boot camp. Rock Island has less 1,000 active duty service members. Scott Air Force is located 25 miles east of St. Louis.
Partnering with cities that are not home to the nation’s largest military installations is a focus in the expansion plan of the Corporate Fellowship Program this year, Hodges said.
Schultz Family Foundation Joins Corporate Fellowship Program
The Schultz Family Foundation is joining the list of companies who show their commitment to helping service members, veterans and military spouses by sponsoring the Corporate Fellowship Program.
“We are thrilled to be adding the Schultz Family Foundation to our list of sponsors,” Hodges said. “They join a list of companies who know how impactful the Corporate Fellowship Program is firsthand. We look forward to working with them.”
CarMax Hosts Its First Fellow
Longtime Corporate Fellowship Program sponsor CarMax is hosting its first fellow in 2019. CarMax’s Senior Recruiter for Military Recruiting Jack McCarthy said HOH’s Corporate Fellowship Program sets veterans up for success.
“The learning opportunity and experience they gain gives them a distinct advantage in finding meaningful employment after they serve in the military,” McCarthy said.
In episode 103 of Hiring Our Heroes’ Sitrep podcast, McCarthy explained how CarMax’s recruitment and retention efforts of veterans and military spouses has evolved through the years.
Existing Partnerships Commit to Growing Their Programs
Cushman & Wakefield’s Director of Veteran Programs Frank Stanley said one of Cushman & Wakefield’s goals for 2019 is to continue to leverage its partnership with Hiring Our Heroes.
“Through this partnership and as the Director of Veteran Programs at Cushman & Wakefield, one of my responsibilities is to provide information and best practices in the arena of the strengths and values that veterans can bring to an organization. We are proud of our partnership with HOH and are excited to continue to show our veterans we are proud of them,” Stanley said.
Military Spouse Corporate Fellowship Program Kicks Off Its Third Year
The Corporate Fellowship Program found success with its Military Spouse Corporate Fellowship Program in 2017, thanks to a partnership with the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation in Maryland. The program, funded by a Department of Labor National Dislocated Worker grant, received good news in December 2018.
After placing 130 military spouses and recently transitioned veterans into six-week, paid fellowships, DOL has extended the program into 2019.
“The Military Spouse Corporate Fellowship Program did great things for active duty military spouses and companies alike,” Hodges said. “The program allowed host companies to realize the many talents a military spouse brings to the table and helped spouses get their foot in the door with companies who might have otherwise overlooked them. We hope to see more programs like this in the future.”
Hiring Our Heroes’ Corporate Fellowship Program is a 12-week program that provides transitioning service members with professional training and hands-on experience in the civilian workforce. In 2018 the program served roughly 730 service members and had a 92% job offer rate as well as an average salary of $85,000.
