Now that Veterans Day has passed, it's important the country not forget that supporting military veterans is a year-round responsibility. Part of that is to ensure that veterans are employed when they return home. Thankfully, some major U.S. companies have made it their mission to hire those who served.
To affirm its commitment to veterans, Comcast established a new vice presidential position within their company dedicated to veteran employment and outreach. In a press release, Comcast stated that it would hire 10,000 veterans, reservists and their family members between now and 2017. They will find work in every facet of the company's business, from marketing to network engineering.
In 2013, Walmart pledged to hire 100,000 veterans within five years. Earlier this year, however, Walmart doubled-down on their pledge and amended their hiring target to 250,000 veterans by 2020. That is, by the Huffington Post's estimation, an admirable 107 percent of its natural hiring rate. Walmart's Greenlight a Vet campaign has also gained momentum.
Starbucks has recently expanded its educational benefits for veterans. In collaboration with Arizona State University, the coffee giant offers full tuition coverage to its veteran employees, their spouses or even one of their children as they pursue a bachelor's degree online, regardless of whether they are full- or part-time students. The Washington Post reported that their decision to extend the benefits came after many of their veteran employees, who already had degrees or were utilizing the GI Bill, requested that they be able to gift the benefits to family members.
Comcast, Walmart, Starbucks and companies like them are the primary catalysts behind increased veteran hiring. These companies are taking the lead, but they are only a few of the thousands nationwide who have realized the worth of employing former military members in their life after service.