Talent Injection: Military Connected Talent as a Workforce Solution

Foreword

Over the course of the past two decades, while significant progress has been made in increasing career opportunities for military-connected talent, more must be done to create and sustain long-term career opportunities for veterans, military spouses, caregivers, and survivors. Together with Cicero Group and our allies in the Health and Life Sciences Industry, we are embarking on a three-part white paper series to identify and build pathways to successful careers for military-connected talent within the Health and Life Sciences industries. Each volume of Talent Injection: Military Connected Talent as a Workforce Solution for the Health and Life Sciences Industry will focus on a particular sub-industry within Health and Life Sciences and will dive into challenges, opportunities, and solutions to build a thriving military-connected talent pool that answers pressing issues in each industry.

At Hiring Our Heroes, we believe and see the value that veterans and military spouses bring to the workplace everyday. Their technical proficiency, education, leadership, knowledge, and attitudes bring strength to any industry they find themselves in. Our hope is that this research will allow industry leaders and key stakeholders to identify, strengthen, and ease barriers to entry into the pharmaceutical industry for veterans and military spouses alike. It will surface new and emerging trends related to pharmaceutical workforce development, economic opportunity, and the critical intersection of both with national security. Our goal through this research is to develop the business case for the growth of a strategic relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and military-connected talent that can be scaled across a variety of other industries in the future.

Eric Eversole President, Hiring Our Heroes Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Executive Summary

The pharmaceutical industry has witnessed growth in recent years due to increased demand for products, technological advancements, and increasing cases of chronic diseases. However, high turnover rates have created a severe talent shortage for companies across different sectors within life sciences, with pharmaceuticals in the top three sectors for job posting levels. Given the right partnerships, education, and solutions, the industry has a strong opportunity to minimize talent shortages by tapping into the incredible talent pool of transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses. This opportunity is predicated on the ability of myriad stakeholders to develop solutions and strategies that forge a more seamless relationship between the military connected job seeker and employers in pharma.

Key Findings

STEM isn’t the only route to jobs in the pharmaceutical industry. While there is a critical need for technicians, demand exists for STEM, non-STEM, licensed/credentialed, and nonlicensed/credentialed related occupations in the space: The pharmaceutical industry has a vast multi-disciplinary employment landscape that provides opportunities for individuals with varying levels of education, experience, and expertise. Nearly half of active pharmaceutical industry job postings on a life-sciences job search engine were in non-STEM disciplines like administration, marketing, and sales.

Military-connected individuals are an educated, trained, ready, and willing talent pool primed to solve workforce challenges: Many veterans are equipped with technical skills from military training or service occupations, along with vital workforce skills including critical thinking, resilience, punctuality, strong team building, and leadership. Many military spouses offer higher levels of educational attainment than their civilian counterparts, have a desire and tools to build their skillset, and the ability to manage stress, take initiative, and provide diversity and perspective to work environments given their military-lifestyle experience.

Understanding the transferability of credits and experience to academic and training institutions and identifying career paths that match their current skills and certifications can be a pain point for transitioning service members: There are many resources that assist transitioning service members in these tasks, but requirements often vary by state and university. It is relevant for industry leaders to understand that there are service members who transition from the military with years of experience as laboratory technicians, medical technicians and technologists, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians.

Frequent relocation and issues of childcare drive spousal unemployment and lead military spouses to remote work as a solution: Remote work has become much more attractive to military spouses, as it provides a way to build a career by staying with an employer for longer periods of time. This sentiment is not unique to the military community, and many pharmaceutical companies are experimenting with hybrid or remote work models to combat the lack of specialized local talent. Occupations in the space that are more suited to offer remote options include clinical trials, drug discovery and preclinical roles, and roles involving data analytics.

Resources for the military-connected community and employers: While many opportunities exist in the pharmaceutical industry, it can be challenging for veterans and military spouses to navigate the job search. Similarly, employers need to know that resources exist for finding this talent. Hiring Our Heroes offers fellowships that place individuals in the military connected community with employers committed to hiring them, and the Department of Defense has undertaken several initiatives to mitigate complications of relocation for military-connected talent.

The skills, education, and determination of military-connected individuals could help minimize the talent shortage in the pharmaceutical industry and address the increased demand for both non-STEM and STEM-related roles in life sciences.

The Pharmaceutical Industry as an Employer

State of Play/Size of Industry

Although the COVID-19 pandemic created turmoil and recession for many industries, the urgent need for solutions and investment in the research and development of vaccines propelled exponential growth in the pharmaceutical industry. While many industries experienced layoffs during the pandemic, employment levels of larger to mid-sized biotech and pharma companies continued to rise. From February 2023 to August 2023, the sector added more employees than in any other six-month period since data collection began in 202110, while also accounting for the most industry job postings in the last four years compared to other subsectors within life sciences.23

Increased demand for pharmaceutical products, technological advancements, and increasing cases of chronic diseases all contribute to the industry’s growth.3 Overall industry revenue has continued to grow, reaching $636.87 billion today, $118.26 billion more than pre-pandemic levels. Aside from progress driven by COVID-19 vaccines, pharma has also seen breakthroughs in cancer treatments, obesity management drugs, gene therapy, and mRNA technology.13

By 2028, the collective pharmaceutical industry is projected to reach $802.8 billion USD.1 The development and projected future growth of new pharma technologies and cancer treatments not only reflects a broader industry rich in opportunity, it indicates attractive sectors for military-connected talent to target when seeking employment opportunities. The industry has witnessed growth in recent years, and high turnover rates have created a severe talent shortage for companies across different sectors within life sciences, including pharmaceuticals, for a variety of reasons, further exacerbating the need for qualified talent.

A recent survey revealed that 54% of respondents who left positions in healthcare and pharmaceuticals either moved to a different industry or left the workforce entirely, while 46% of employees simply transitioned to a new role within the industry.22 Individuals with STEM-related experience have begun to shift to rival industries that may offer better compensation and/or work-life balance, widening the gap between supply of talent and demand of healthcare assistance by the aging population.

Industry Professionals in Biopharma & Life Sciences, 202228

Types of Work Available

While it is a common perception that all jobs in pharma and bio pharma require a STEM background, there are in fact many that do not.

U.S. Occupational Profile - Biopharmaceutical Industry & Total Employment, 20176

Installation, Maintenance, & Repair

Healthcare Practitioners & Technical

Transportation & Material Moving

Computer & Mathematical

Sales & Related

Architecture & Engineerings

Business & Financial Operations

Management

Office & Administrative Support

Production Life, Physical, & Social Science

...The diversity of roles within the industry paves the way for opportunities within pharma regardless of prior experience.

As the above chart denotes, the multi-disciplinary employment landscape of the pharmaceutical industry provides opportunities for individuals with varying levels of education, experience, and expertise. Roles within the clinical, engineering, IT, and research and development disciplines require strong STEM knowledge and experience, while administration, marketing, quality, regulatory, and sales and services roles may require less STEM education or expertise, if any. While the collective life sciences labor market witnessed a 20% increase in demand for STEM-related roles, the diversity of roles within the industry paves the way for opportunities within pharma regardless of prior experience.

BioSpace, a platform for life sciences news and job postings, shows nearly half (49%) of active job postings in the pharmaceutical industry are in non-STEM disciplines like administration, marketing, and sales. Further, 88% of job opportunities require a bachelor’s degree or lower educational attainment, with 11% of all pharma job postings requiring a minimum of a high school diploma. Only 120 job postings require a master’s degree and only 101 require a Doctorate, PhD, or MD. Though this data is not reflective of all positions in the pharma space (rather, only those currently hiring and listed on BioSpace), the robust sample of 1,943 job postings provides a lens into the makeup of occupations in the space and potential opportunities for the military connected community based on discipline and education requirements.17

Highly demanded jobs in pharmaceuticals between 2019-2022 include:

*Note: O*NET Crosswalk allows users to search for a civilian job title to see associated military job titles and corresponding MOCs. Not all corresponding MOCs are included above.

percentage of job openings in the life sciences industry that were for occupations in the pharmaceutical subsector, making it among the top 3 subsectors for job posting levels7

Where Vacancies Exist

The talent shortage within the pharmaceutical sub sector is severe, and companies are struggling to find qualified personnel to fill job openings. 27% of job postings in the greater life sciences industry were for occupations in the pharmaceutical subsector, making it among the top 3 subsectors for job posting levels.7

Occupational Snapshot: Pharmacy Technicians

Role

Majority Educational Attainment

Required Certifications & Licensure

• Assists in a variety of operational tasks including measuring medications, prescription labeling and organization, communicating with insurance providers and doctors’ offices, and processing payments for prescriptions.

• Less than a bachelor’s degree (64.2%)30

• Two-year associate program or one-year certificate program encouraged.

• 90% of employers require or prefer candidates with certifications that demonstrate competence and technical knowledge.40

• Varies by state.33

• State with no registration, certification, or licensing requirements include Hawaii, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.42

• Other states may have certification or licensing requirements, but not both.42

Top Certifying Organizations

Credential Transferability

• Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)

• National Healthcareer Association (NHA)

• Some states have license transfer agreements while others may require candidates to re-apply for licensure.41

• PTCB and NHA programs are both nationally recognized, allowing individuals to transfer certifications between states.

*Note: Certifications are issued by an organization if a candidate passes a competency test, while licenses are given by state or federal governments and grant legal permission to perform tasks.39

Recruiting technical talent is also a pressing issue facing the industry. In fact, in the 2022 National Pharmacist Workforce Study conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, nearly two-thirds of respondents (pharmaceutical employers) rated the degree of the technician shortage as severe or very severe.61 These ratings came primarily from respondents practicing in chain pharmacies, other corporate pharmacy settings like mass merchandisers or supermarkets, and hospital impatient settings.

Many strategies have been suggested to combat the technician shortage, including introducing an option to work from home. Though most survey respondents disagreed that this was a way to deal with the shortage, hybrid or remote work has been implemented by pharmaceutical companies to recruit and retain talent. Remote work has helped companies in life sciences minimize geographic barriers for talent acquisition and lessen hiring competition, especially in certain business support roles like IT, financial analysis, and regulatory affairs.7 In the survey, flexibility in scheduling and higher pay were among the top strategies suggested to combat technician shortages.8

Hybrid or remote work has been implemented by pharmaceutical companies to recruit and retain talent.

Aside from technician roles, there is also a strong demand for more senior roles that usually require a PhD. In a quote from the Industry Roundtable presented by Hiring Our Heroes and KPMG in September of 2023, a principal scientist shared that about 20% of their organization’s workforce is senior, which reduces the number of projects and lowers revenue. In order to meet forecasted demand, 10,000 senior R&D positions and 35,000 junior R&D positions need to be filled by 2026.9

Veterans as a Talent Pool

Technical Skills

Service members transitioning to the civilian workforce from the military have undergone intense specialized training. For example, to become an enlisted military technician, candidates must graduate from the military’s electronics, mechanical, and electro-mechanical vocational schools. One focus of the program is equipment maintenance and repair training for a variety of machinery including laboratory and medical equipment. Military Officers must complete educational programs through US Service Academies or through an ROTC program at an accredited university, many of which choose to study engineering or a related major. Individuals from mechanical and technical roles in the military tend to have a strong attention to detail, problem-solving skills, in addition to technical proficiency, safety and compliance skills, ability to conduct preventative maintenance checks and services, equipment upgrades and modifications, and training and mentorship skills.59

Psychosocial Skills

Veterans across different military disciplines also offer many psychosocial skills valuable to employers. The rigorous and accelerated military training required to be in the service builds a strong work ethic, habit of punctuality, and instills a deep sense of discipline and commitment. Veterans may be more confident entering new roles, serve as more loyal employees, and better meet employer expectations due to their experience. Serving in the military also requires critical thinking skills and strong decision making in high-pressure situations. Service members are expected to perform in emotionally and physically challenging environments, building resilience and adaptability that are valuable in dynamic work environments. The structure of the military also develops strong team building skills, as service members are trained to operate in a unit comprised of individuals from all different cultural backgrounds. The ability to support others and function well in a collaborative environment propels company culture in the workplace. Finally, many service members step into leadership roles earlier than their civilian counterparts. Service members may have the ability to effectively communicate with others, regulate their emotions in stressful situations, and motivate team members to increase productivity and quality of work, making them competitive candidates for leadership positions.21

William Corley U.S. Army Veteran

Veteran Profile

Corley served in the Army for over 21 years, occupying several different roles including Station Commander and Human Resources Sergeant. “One of the things I loved about the Army was being part of something that was bigger than myself.” While Corley expected it to be difficult finding a civilian career that matched his skillset and checked the same boxes as his roles in the military, an HOH corporate fellowship program simplified the transition process and helped place Corley in a full-time position with Johnson & Johnson. “As someone who is used to helping others and having a deep purpose, the healthcare industry was a natural fit.”

Corley has since worked in the pharmaceutical industry for one and a half years, serving as a Program Manager leading a college hiring program. “It really aligns with my passion for talent development and mentorship that I experienced as a leader in the Army. Working at a world-leading healthcare company and having the impact on Early-InCareer talent is truly a blessing.”

“

“As someone who is used to helping others and having a deep purpose, the healthcare industry was a natural fit.”

– William Corley, Program Manager EIC Talent Program, Johnson & Johnson (HOH Corporate Fellowship Program Alumni)

A Snapshot of Veterans in the Field

In 2016, healthcare was the fastest growing industry for male veterans to enter and was the third most common industry in which male veterans were employed. Veteran females in healthcare were more likely to have a bachelor’s degree than their nonveteran counterparts, and only 7% had earned a high school diploma or less (compared to 19.7% of female non-veterans in healthcare). Female veterans in healthcare also tended to be older and more racially diverse.

Skills Translation & Credit for Experience

There are many resources that allow transitioning service members to cross walk their skills to civilian careers, including O*NET OnLine Crosswalk Search, Career One Stop, Military Skills Translator on Military.com, and My Next Move, Army COOL (Credentialing Opportunities On-Line), and VMET. Most sites allow individuals to search for their military role using their Military Occupational Classification code (MOC) and relevant experiences to find opportunities that require a similar skill set,52 while others provide resume help or financial assistance to earn credentials. Some states offer a specific crosswalk guide that tracks which military certifications transfer to different civilian occupations. This is extremely helpful for transitioning service members looking for an occupation in which they already meet some of the education, certification, and experience requirements. For leaders in the pharmaceutical industry particularly, it is relevant to understand that there are service members who transition from the military each year with years of experience as laboratory technicians, medical technicians and technologists, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians.51 Service members with relevant experience in IT, logistics, and human resources could also assume roles within the pharmaceutical industry.

Over the past several decades, progress has been made in offering academic credit for military experiences through the joint services transcript, available to those who serve in the Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy. These transcripts show training that is accredited by the American Council on Education (ACE) and can allow a transitioning service member to bypass some academic coursework needed to pursue a degree, which may be required for employment, depending on the position. Despite this tool, many university admissions officers are often unfamiliar with the JST, and this results in uneven acceptance of transfer credits. Even the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) in San Antonio, designed to train military personnel in healthcare occupations, struggles with the issue of accreditation and credit transferability.58 In order for tools and benefits like the JST and GI Bill to be optimized, it is critical for educational institutions offering support for military connected students to undertake efforts to train admissions officers and staff to better understand their use.

Military Spouses as a Talent Pool

For those who advocate for military spouses or military family issues, it is no surprise that military spouse economic opportunity is often raised as one of the most pressing issues facing military families. Hiring Our Heroes conducted a survey in 2022 of 4,118 civilian military spouses.15 For the purpose of this survey, Hiring Our Heroes defined civilian military spouse as a person who is currently married to an active-duty service member, reservist, National Guard member, or a retiree/veteran, and never served in the military themselves. Most active-duty military spouse respondents needed or wanted to work; however, only 34% were employed full-time, 13% were employed part-time, 10% were self-employed, and only 6% were not employed and not looking for work. 32% (nearly the same share of respondents that were fulltime employees), were unemployed but seeking work.15 Although 70% of military spouses had worked a typical, in-person 9-5 job, less than 10% considered this ideal.16 Despite the realities of military life: frequent relocation, unpredictable schedules of service members, and issues of childcare – nearly all active-duty spouses from the survey have been employed or looked for work during their time as a military spouse.15

In the United States, there are... 1 million + 15 million +

highly qualified active-duty/reserve military spouses highly qualified veteran military spouses

A recent survey of activeduty military spouses found that most respondents needed or wanted to work; however, only 34% were employed full-time.

Many military spouses are equipped with higher education or specialty training, with an ability to adapt, think critically, manage stress, take initiative, and provide diversity and perspective to work environments given their military-lifestyle experience. They are a ready and willing talent pool, one that is primed to solve workforce challenges in an occupational field facing talent shortfalls.

Educational Attainment

Three in four of all military spouses completed a college education, while just 3% earned only a high school diploma or less.15 The military spouse population, on average, achieved higher educational attainment than the general U.S. population aged 25 and older. In total, 84% of military spouses have at least a college degree (associates or higher), compared to only 48.4% of the general population aged 25 and older. While women are overrepresented in the military spouse community – making up 92% of respondents – only 39% of civilian women aged 25 and older had completed a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2022 (compared to 75% of survey respondents).14 Military spouses are motivated to succeed and offer competitive levels of educational attainment compared to the general civilian population, yet 88% of respondents reported that the military lifestyle impacts their ability to find jobs at their experience and/or education levels.15 of military spouses have at least a college degree (associates or higher), compared to 48.4% of the general population

Desire to Upskill/Reskill

Not only have most military spouses earned a college degree, but many also expressed interest in pursuing training or education to improve their skill sets and make them more competitive candidates for job opportunities. 8 in 10 surveyed military spouses revealed they have already taken part in additional training or education to improve their job or career, 52% of respondents said they were “very likely” to do so, and 29% said they were “somewhat likely” to do so.16 These responses were most common among military spouses with higher levels of educational attainment (66% of those with a graduate/professional degree, 53% of those with a bachelor’s degree, and 44% of those with an associate degree or some college). Close to half of respondents were interested in building their skills through additional training on marketing and social media (58%), general business software (48%), website design (47%), and basic productivity software (40%).16 These skills may add value in pharmaceutical roles pertaining to sales, office & administrative support, and business & financial operations.

In addition to the desire and propensity to acquire new skills, education, and training, military spouses have access to several specialized funding and training opportunities, like the My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) offered by DoD, or free training opportunities offered by companies like Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce.

Addressing Frequent Relocation & Childcare Needs

Issues of childcare, unpredictable service member schedules, and frequent relocation are primary challenges for military spouses looking to build their career. In the 78% of military families who have children15, parental duties often fall heavily on military spouses due to the intense and varied hours of service members. Without reliable childcare, military spouses may struggle to pursue full-time employment.

Frequent and sometimes unpredictable moves were more likely to make military spouses feel like there was no point in pursuing a job because the length of stay was so uncertain.16 These sentiments were felt more by spouses of officers (64%) than spouses of enlisted service members (48%), which may reflect a higher need for enlisted service member spouses to earn an income to support their families. Military spouses often feel overwhelmed when starting the job search and recruitment process after a recent relocation. Even when getting through the recruitment process, resume gaps due to relocation and an inability to commit to a minimum amount of time resulted in higher difficulty landing a job.

As a result, remote work opportunities have become much more attractive to military spouses. One spouse stated, “After years of career start-overs, I made the goal to work remotely at the beginning of the year.”16 41% of military spouses cited their “ideal work situation” as fully remote and 22% hoped to work remotely at least some days of the week. This sentiment was consistent across spouses from all education and experience levels.16 Remote work allows military spouses to build a career by staying with an employer for longer periods of time. One spouse found career success through remote work: “I am a success story of a military spouse who has figured out how to mold their care each time they move. Of my ten years of experience, I have been working remote seven of them.”16 Military spouses are not alone in their preference for remote work. In 2023, 98% of workers stated a preference to work remotely, at least some of the time, while 65% of employees wanted to work remotely all the time.27 Stress associated with relocation can be mitigated for military spouses if their occupation allows them to work remotely.

Many pharmaceutical companies are experimenting with hybrid or remote work models to combat the lack of specialized local talent. However, as would be expected, opportunities vary by role. For pharmacists specifically, remote work is much more common in ambulatory care practice settings where patient telehealth visits are common. Additionally, checking orders, working for a managed care company or pharmaceutical benefits manager, or appointments in academia all provide pharmacists with more occurrences of virtual work.20 Pharma occupations that are more suited to offer remote options include clinical trials, drug discovery and preclinical roles, and roles involving data analytics. Nearly half (up from 8% pre-pandemic) of interactions between patients and providers during clinical trials were remote.25 As pharma companies navigate privacy concerns, collection and analysis of clinical trial data may become increasingly remote as well. Remote positions available in pharma are still less prevalent compared to other industries, however, with only 131 out of 1,943 active job postings in pharma on BioSpace being remote. Given their access to low- and no-cost reskilling opportunities offered through the Department of Defense as well as multiindustry partners like Salesforce, Google, and others, military spouses are primed to quickly acquire skills necessary to step into these remote roles. Military spouses seeking remote opportunities in the industry may want to target roles associated with data analytics or clinical trial operations.

Shannon Vail

Active Duty Military Spouse

Military Spouse Profile

Vail’s employment gap started when she was laid off during the global pandemic and continued until she applied for the Department of Defense Military Spouse Accelerator Pilot (MSCAP), supported by Deloitte and facilitated by Hiring Our Heroes (HOH). As a fellowship candidate, Vail interviewed with several potential host companies. She selected Amgen as her host company. “In true military spouse fashion, I did the interview in a hotel room as we moved cross-country for new orders.”

Following her 12-week fellowship, Vail accepted a full-time position supporting process improvement initiatives across Amgen’s Research & Development. “Amgen continues to support me as a military spouse and has provided flexible employment as I have endured another military move. I am so grateful to them and this fellowship opportunity that solidified my professional growth.”

–

Shannon Vail, R&D Quality Project Manager, Amgen

“

“Being a candidate in MSCAP provided me an opportunity to do a fellowship with Amgen, closing my employment gap after being laid off during the pandemic.”

Tools for Veterans & Military Spouses to Explore Careers in the Pharmaceutical Industry

While there are many open opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry, it can be challenging for a veteran or military spouse to know where to start. In the ecosystem of resources, there are many resources that can be a springboard to accessing jobs, training, and licensing and credentialing that can be valuable to this population.

Hiring Our Heroes offers a variety of fellowships for military connected talent that place individuals with employers committed to hiring them. Fellowships take the form of industryfocused programs and vary based on the needs of partner companies and candidates. These fellowships provide industry-specific training and professional experience in high-demand career fields. Fellows receive hands-on work experience over 12 weeks, with the goal of transitioning to full-time employees at the end of the program. The Military Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot (MSCAP), a unique collaboration between the Department of Defense, Hiring Our Heroes, and Deloitte Consulting, offers accepted participants 12-week fellowships at employers across various industries and locations throughout the United States. The program is open to active duty, reserve, and National Guard Spouses and has an 85% success rate for permanent placement.

The Department of Defense has undertaken several initiatives to mitigate complications of relocation for military-connected talent for the one third of military spouses who are in licensed professions. First, the department has identified best practices for state governments and encourages relocating individuals to achieve licensure through endorsement, receive temporary licensure, or undergo a faster process for attaining a new license. Licensure through endorsement allows individuals to complete continuing education units or show recent employment or volunteer experience instead of taking the traditional licensing route, while some states provide a temporary license for their state when shown a current license from another state that allows individuals to work towards new license requirements without losing the ability to qualify for or work in desired roles.43 Additionally, military spouses can apply for reimbursement for the cost of transferring a license due to a permanent changes of station. For military service members specifically, the Department of Defense offers credentialing programs for active-duty members that boost candidates’ credentials prior to leaving the service and entering the workforce.44 Over 2,000 credentials are available across these programs, with resources for candidates to track requirements by state.43

Educational benefits that allow for upskilling, reskilling, and attainment of degrees exist for both veterans and military spouses. For instance, the Department of Defense My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) offers small scholarships for certain military spouses to attain additional training that allows them to move into high-growth, portable careers. More comprehensively, the post 9/11 GI Bill benefits can propel the careers of transitioning service members or certain spouses through funding for education or job training. These benefits can be transferred to a spouse or dependent children if unused by the veteran, but qualifications and transferability vary by bill.56 The Department of Veteran Affairs partners with many schools of pharmacy and pharmaceutical companies, allowing veterans to apply their selected GI Bill Benefits to programs or trainings (Pfizer, for example, offers an on-thejob training/apprenticeship). Though candidates can filter by desired companies, schools, or industries to see what opportunities are available,57 understanding eligibility requirements has proved difficult for veterans, as it is dependent on many factors like period and length of service, disability status, etc.58

Where Do We Go From Here?

It is estimated that 200,000 transitioning service members enter the workforce each year.54 This large talent pool could minimize the talent shortage present in the health and life sciences industry and address the increased demand (20%) for STEM-related roles in life sciences. The rate at which veterans and non-veterans pursue science and engineering disciplines is similar (around 43%)54, but it is more common for veterans to study computer science, IT, or engineering than their non-veteran counterparts. Further, many veterans have a strong foundation of STEM knowledge and skills as a result of undergoing technical training for their military occupations.54

Military spouses can also add value to the healthcare workforce. There are more than 1 million active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve military spouses, and more than 15 million veteran military spouses in the U.S.,60 who are more educated, on average, than their civilian counterparts. Military spouses or transitioning service members with a background in STEM may target jobs as chemical engineers, chemical equipment operators and tenders, biochemists, computer systems analysts, general and operations managers, biological technicians, engineering managers, or software developers, all positions in high demand in the pharmaceutical industry.

The pharmaceutical industry has an opportunity to address current industry human capital needs while supporting our military connected community, and the industry alone can’t solve these challenges. Various stakeholders must work together to minimize talent shortages while reducing barriers to entry for veterans and military spouses.

Employers: Engage with trusted resources to access the military & veteran community. Working in partnership with organizations like Hiring Our Heroes can provide thoughtleadership, expertise, and access to the military-connected community. By engaging with organizations that are already working to address veteran and military spouse economic opportunity, the industry does not need to re-invent the wheel when it comes to recruitment, best practices, or access. The Department of Defense also offers support to employers through the Military Spouse Employment Program (MSEP).

Employers: Access talent programs that introduce, or re-introduce, veterans and military spouses into the civilian workforce. The best way to understand military connected talent is to see it in action. Employers in the pharmaceutical industry can register to become an employer with programs like the Department of Defense SkillBridge Program, the Department of Defense Military Spouse Fellowship, Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship Program.

Employers: Provide a supportive environment for veteran and military spouse talent. Retention of quality talent is dependent on employee experience. By using best practices like mentorship or employee resource groups, employers can ensure that those transitioning into a new work environment feel welcomed and supported. These types of programs can also be a rewarding developmental experience for veterans and military spouses, leveraging their experience as leaders as their tenure with an organization increases.

Employers: Develop specialized marketing and human capital strategies. Employers can highlight positions that appeal to veterans or military spouses in marketing materials and strategic outreach, like roles that accept mechanical/technical military experience, or remote and part-time opportunities in pharma. This can raise awareness of open positions, qualifications, and career ladder opportunities for the military-connected community within healthcare. Additionally, ensuring that human resources leaders have access to training related to military connected talent and understand how military experience translates to success in your organization, can reduce barriers to military connected talent early in their job search.

State Governments: Increase transferability of licenses and credentials and recognition of military credentials by state licensing boards. Despite existing resources, the process of transferring military credentials, training, and skills to suitable career paths remains the largest pain point for veterans. Many roles in healthcare require licensure or credentials, but the variance in transferability across states complicates the process of entering the field. This is relevant to both transitioning service members with experience or military certifications that could translate, or for military spouses who need to port their certifications and credentials across state lines. The Department of Defense has created best practices for Enhanced Military Spouse Licensure Portability, which may aid states in easing barriers for military spouses in occupations that require licenses.

State Governments: Create strategic partnerships to drive economic opportunity for veterans and military spouses.

Pharmaceuticals represent a huge economic driver for many states. By partnering with employers, states can continue to grow industry footprints, and attract new residents, particularly in the case of veteran talent. Additionally, in states with high numbers of service members, such as those that play host to military installations, strategic partnerships with employers and military-affiliated nonprofits can drive economic opportunity for military spouses, thus making states a more attractive host for the military.

Veterans and Military Spouses: Take advantage of trusted resources in skills translation, education benefits, and upskilling.

While the pharmaceutical industry may seem very technically specific, opportunities across the industry are highly varied and offer opportunities for individuals with varying degrees of education and experience, from those seeking their first entry level position to the most seasoned executive. Tapping into free, trusted resources like job search, veteran resume review, free oneyear LinkedIn Premium membership for veterans, and Career Spark for military spouses can kickstart the transition to a new career opportunity. The Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Roadmap can give military spouses the opportunity to build a plan to upskill or find remote work.

Non-profit, Government, and Corporate Entities: Create informational resources for military-connected individuals. Many candidates in the military-connected community may be unaware of job opportunities or may be overwhelmed approaching an industry with such a robust employment landscape. Strategic partnerships between non-profit and government entities alongside pharmaceutical employers can increase awareness of opportunities. This may be achieved through industryspecific career fairs, speaker panels, or the development of a Healthcare and Life Sciences Career Guide for the military community, etc.

Educators: Understand and promote education benefits. Military benefits that provide educational funding vary by length and period of service, deployments, disability status, institution, transferability, and many other factors. As many senior roles in pharmaceuticals require STEM-related expertise and/or experience, understanding these benefits as well as tools like the Joint Services Transcript will ease barriers of veterans and military spouses to pursuing more advanced education in a life sciences-related field to build careers in healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

Sources

1. “Pharmaceuticals - United States: Statista Market Forecast.” Statista, www.statista.com/outlook/hmo/ pharmaceuticals/united-states#revenue. Accessed 4 Apr. 2024.

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