Spotlight on Veteran Workforce

V ETER AN WORKFORCE

The United States is home to 18.2 million veterans who have served our country in the military, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The number of unemployed veterans sits at 3% - a figure that is slowly declining thanks in part to small business owners like Eddie West of A. West Enterprise, an Albany-based electrical service and construction company.

In January 1984, after high school graduation, Eddie West began a 4-year enlistment in the United States Air Force. "To me, it was a patriotic calling," said West. "My father took me to the last air show before they closed Turner Field here in Albany, and after his death in 1981, it just seemed like a good way for me to figure out who I was and who I was going to become. Even today, I still consider being in the Air Force as one of my best decisions."

Upon completion of military service, many veterans encounter one common challenge – entering the mainstream workforce. "Being trained in the military, you learn a lot of great soft skills like dealing with other people, which makes a person very desirable as an employee, but many of the jobs you learned in the military don't cross over into civilian life, and retraining is required."

West says there also tends to be a misconception among organizations led by people who did not serve in the military - primarily that veterans are people "trained to kill" and are "ticking time bombs," something that West rebuffs. "Veterans are highly desirable in law enforcement, EMS, and emergency medicine careers. Veterans have trained to work with others, lead, follow, and deal with high stress in volatile situations while remaining calm. A. West realizes the asset this person can be. When a veteran applies for a job with us and has an Honorable Discharge, this automatically leads us to take a look at this person and see what else is there."

EDDIE WEST OF A. WEST ENTERPRISE PROUDLY SUPPORTS VETERANS AND MILITARY HEROES.

A. West Enterprise is home to six veterans - two Air Force, two Navy, and two Army who all work in a leadership role.

"They are great people," he said. "Veterans can lead and/or follow; they know how to adapt, improvise, or overcome day-today obstacles. An Honorable Discharge shows they are proven; that they can learn, stay on task, have teamwork skills, have no trouble taking charge when tasked, and they follow orders. When you hire one, you know what you are getting by how long they served."

Even with the strides that A. West has made in hiring veterans, Eddie West feels

his organization can still do more. The humble heart behind that sentiment is one that can inspire other small business owners to seek the opportunities to add veterans to their team.

Interested in hiring a veteran? Contact the Georgia Department of Labor and local staffing agencies. Visit our Online Member Directory at albanyga.com for contact information.