2 min read

Introducing the Merit Career Skills Program for Veterans

Featured Image

Every year, hundreds of thousands of men and women leave the U.S. military service and re-enter civilian life. Unfortunately, many of these skilled individuals struggle to find employment in roles that are commensurate with the level of expertise and competence that they have acquired, and addressing this gap is something that I have become extremely passionate about. 

The transition to civilian life can be a stressful and challenging process for service members and their families, but I strongly believe it doesn't have to be. I stand for giving Veterans opportunities. I also believe Merit is in a position where we can make a difference, and think other companies should be doing the same. 

iStock-1132288107cropped

Service members and Veterans embody many of the most critical skills to be successful in the workforce. Anyone can look up how to write a customer service email, how to understand a gantt chart, or how to read a balance sheet. Leading a team, real-time problem solving, and sheer work ethic aren’t easily or quickly learned skills, yet those are the skills that businesses are most desperately looking for. These individuals are often overlooked because they may not have some of the traditional hard skills – that in reality, can be learned in days, if not hours. I would argue that service members in fact have more valuable experience. 

Anything we can do to help service members translate those skills into civilian work is a worthy cause. As Americans, we are doing a disservice to those that protect us by not supporting Veterans in this endeavor, and as companies, we are doing a disservice to investors if we are not capitalizing on this unbelievably talented pool of candidates. 

At Merit, we want to help give Veterans access to the best opportunities available. We want to find ways to shorten the learning curve of how to apply for jobs, showcase skills, discuss abilities in context of a civilian career, and we’ve found that these are skills that most Veterans aren’t getting.

With all of this in mind, Merit is proud to work alongside such organizations as the Soldier For Life – Transition Assistance Program (TAP), and the U.S. Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program to help military professionals find better employment opportunities as they transition to civilian life. Beginning this Fall, we are launching the Merit Career Skills Program

This eight-part tactical skills-focused program will cover key elements of transitioning into a civilian career, including:

  • Resume building
  • Business communication
  • Presentation skills
  • Interview skills
  • Salary negotiation
  • And more 

Upon completion of the classes, internship or fellowship opportunities at Merit and other partner companies will be available for service members and their families to apply for, which have the potential to turn into full-time employment. Beyond that, every service member that goes through the program will walk away with a toolkit of tactical skills that they can leverage throughout their lives to help them get more out of their civilian careers. 

The Merit Career Skills Program is an important and valuable step to better serve our Veterans and their families. As a corporation, what better way is there to use our capital, than to enable these skilled individuals to find a career after their military service? We’re excited to kick this off, and we hope that more companies will join us in making a difference. 

If you’re an individual who would like to volunteer your time – let us know here.

If you’d like to talk to us about how your business can get involved – let us know here.

Get the latest news with Merit’s monthly newsletters

Merit and Propel Partner to Help Kansans Access Education Services Weeks Faster Than Before

We're excited to announce a strategic partnership with Propel, creator of the free app, Providers, which helps low-income families manage their...

Read More

Merit + Credential Engine: An Ecosystem of Nationwide Credentialing

In order to give states the digital credentialing tools to build a system for standards-based workforce reciprocity between states, Merit and ...

Read More

A History-Making Weekend for Military Families, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, ASPIRE, and Merit

Military families have long struggled with the challenges posed by regular reassignments to new states. These PCS (Permanent Change of Station) moves...

Read More