National Pilot Program a Success
Tucson, AZ – The Tucson Metro Chamber hosted its inaugural Hiring Event on October 23 as part of its new Southern Arizona Veterans Workforce Initiative. The Hiring Event was a major component of the national pilot program the Chamber was selected for earlier this year focused on linking military veterans and their families with employment in the aerospace and defense industry.
Through the Chamber’s efforts, military veterans seeking employment were matched with Southern Arizona employers through an online workforce development program developed by Futures, Inc. The online resource translated the military occupation codes (MOCs) with civilian skills, certifications and jobs, but also assessed factors such as education, security clearances, work experience, and job availability.
This sophisticated model of pre-matching job seekers’ skills with employers’ job qualifications was highly successful. 50 interviews were conducted at the Hiring Event with 13 employers, resulting in a 68% hiring rate. The success seen in the hiring rate directly relates to the screening Futures Inc. conducted of veteran job seekers and, due to the effective aspects of the technology, employers were able to hire some veterans on the spot.
“The success of the Hiring Event is the beginning of a significant movement addressing our workforce needs to not only fill positions and recruit from outside of our community, but in also identifying skills gaps, providing better connections for the talent in our backyard and ultimately increasing our community’s competitiveness,” stated Amber Smith, president and CEO of the Tucson Metro Chamber. “The workforce platform we utilized is the highest and best use of technology for the benefit of developing and growing our workforce. While this pilot event was specifically tailored to veterans and the aerospace industry, the Chamber’s goal is ultimately to add all of Southern Arizona’s major industries and include all job seekers.”
“The Chamber’s Hiring Event for veterans was extremely beneficial for Nextrio. Often, it’s difficult to find qualified employees with well-developed technical skills in addition to soft skills that are vital for success in the workplace. The matching platform that pre-vetted applicants simplified the hiring process and brought forth exceptional candidates with refined skills in both spectrums. The military training and experience veterans receive provides a competitive advantage for interfacing with employers and sets them on a path for success in civilian life” said Cristie Street, managing partner of Nextrio.
Partners of the Tucson Metro Chamber’s Southern Arizona Veterans Hiring Initiative include: AGM Container Controls, Barker Contracting, CAID Industries, Caterpillar, Crest Insurance, Diamond Ventures, Futures Inc., Pima Community College, Pima County One-Stop Career Center and Sun Corridor Inc.
The Tucson Metro Chamber plans to continue discussions with Futures Inc. as well as partnering organizations and employers to examine the appropriate next steps, which may include another hiring event open to additional industry sectors. One of the Chamber’s main priorities is workforce development and talent attraction and technologies similar to the one developed by Futures Inc. is a way in which employers can gain access to skilled individuals and educational institutions can better assess skills gaps that exist in our region.