More employers recruit the military ethic - Military Careers, Second Careers - Navy Times

More employers recruit the military ethic

WASHINGTON — Employers looking to hire workers with strong work ethics, leadership skills and diverse backgrounds are increasingly turning to a select group of recruits: members of the military.

Companies across a broad number of industries are seeking workers for a wide variety of positions as they recruit veterans, sometimes before their time in the service has ended.

The firms are motivated by more than a rock-bottom jobless rate, which was 4.6 percent in January, near a five-year low.

“When you look at our employee base and you see the guys who are very conscientious, who are always early for work, who are clean-cut, have a smile on their face, get the job done and just have a great attitude, many of those guys come from the military,” said Jeff Owens, president of Advanced Technology Services in Peoria, Ill.

One-quarter of ATS’ 1,700 employees are veterans. The firm, which maintains manufacturing equipment for factories across the United States and in Mexico, has increased its military recruiting efforts in the past few years.

“In the military, you’re trained and conditioned to deal with that stress and to respond well and think on your feet,” said Troy Ponto, 39, who left the Marine Corps last year after 20 years. The former flight engineer from Raleigh, N.C., is working as a site coordinator at Advanced Technology Services.

Difficulty moving into the civilian world may in part explain why, despite the demand from employers, young veterans are still unemployed at a higher rate than the general population.

The unemployment rate for veterans ages 20-24 was 10.4 percent in 2006. Although that was lower than the record high of almost 16 percent in 2005, it was still more than twice the 4.6 percent rate seen in the general population. The jobless rate among nonveterans ages 20-24 was 8.1 percent last year.

A recent University of Chicago study suggested the high unemployment rates may be partly because young veterans are taking their time — up to nine months in some cases — job hunting. That may be a positive if young veterans are looking for the right job, rather than taking the first one that comes along, said Charles Ciccolella, assistant secretary of labor for veteran employment and training.

Ponto said that with demand from employers high, veterans can afford to be choosy.

“It wasn’t so much that I was being interviewed and critiqued, but I was interviewing them,” he said.

Gregg Zoroya and Haya El Nasser contributed to this story.