Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
New initiatives are opening up job opportunities for U.S. veterans. The state Department of Veterans Services is working with the New Mexico Aviation/Aerospace Association to help veterans retiring or returning from Afghanistan find jobs in New Mexico's aviation and aerospace industries.
The association will help the state build a database of local companies that want to hire veterans. The state would then work to connect former military personnel with prospective employers, help those who need more skills to pursue training and certification and help veterans start their own companies.
Skills gained in the military often can translate into the private sector. Many vets are certified to work on a variety of aircraft, engines and parts. And those without certifications often can fill noncertified jobs.
Meanwhile, the city of Albuquerque is guaranteeing that veterans who served honorably at least get an interview for a city job if they meet the job's qualifications. The new policy took effect June 1.
Just getting an interview is a leg up. Of the roughly 52,000 people who apply with the city each year, fewer than 8 percent are granted interviews.
Combat experience is not necessary to check the "military" box on an application. Those currently in the military must have passed basic training, and those who have finished their service must have received an honorable discharge.
These worthy initiatives recognize that those who have volunteered to defend America should have the chance to remain productive citizens once they are again civilians. It is recognition well deserved.
— The Albuquerque Journal
