Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM MAY 2015 62 Paul Mac Donald—Executive Director, United Servicers Association For more information, call 1-800-683-2558 or visit www.unitedservicers.com. S E R V I C E D E P A R T M E N T T he United Servicer's Association is helping spread the word about Vet2Tech, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping veterans connect with career opportunities as residential appliance repair technicians all across the country. Vet2Tech was a table-top participant at the annual conference in New Orleans in February. For the past three years, Vet2Tech has been supporting the commercial food equipment service industry by recruiting veterans to help close the widening employment gap the industry is experiencing. Vet2Tech has developed an expansive network reaching veterans transitioning from active duty military service and those who are currently in the civilian workforce. Recruiting veterans means bringing candidates into the industry with highly-sought-after soft skills that will enhance the operations of the companies they work for. Because of their unique military training, veterans have a distinct advantage over their civilian counterparts. Veterans have more soft skills than civilians at the same stage in their careers. "Hiring veterans for available positions is not only the right thing to do, it's just smart business," said Carol Multack, president and chief executive officer of Vet2Tech. "Veterans possess not only the aptitude, but even more importantly the attitude necessary to succeed in today's competitive workforce. They understand what it means to work hard and get the job done right the first time. Veterans are adept learners and will take on the challenge to cross-train into a new industry with the maturity and decisiveness learned in the military. That is exactly the type of attitude needed in a fast-paced work environment where self- discipline is required," says Multack. Customer service skills are a must in this industry and veterans have dedicated a large portion of their life to service. In addition, veterans bring the ability to problem-solve under stressful situations and are calm under pressure. They are reliable and well-trained to be flexible and work well in a team environment. "Their integrity and leadership skills will be an asset to any organization," adds Multack. If the residential appliance service industry is going to attract and recruit a new generation of technicians, the industry must realize that entry-level technicians are not going to possess industry specific experience. However, all of the veterans recruited by Vet2Tech for technician positions have training and experience in a mechanical or electrical Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). They have the ability to read and interpret schematics and wiring diagrams and are experienced at troubleshooting and servicing a wide range of highly- sophisticated military equipment such as avionics systems, weapon systems, power generation and utility systems, as well as Humvee's, tanks, aircraft, and more. Chris Heina, vice president of commercial food equipment service company Cobblestone Ovens in Elk Grove Village, Ill., is a strong supporter of the Vet2Tech program. He found a solution to his company's shortage of qualified service technicians and other key employees by turning to Vet2Tech for assistance. "We need younger and more technically savvy technicians," he explained. "In the commercial food equipment industry, today's rack ovens and combi ovens are infinitely more complicated than the previous generation's revolving tray ovens, deck ovens, fryers and steamers. Multiple layers of programmability exist in all of these equipment types. As a result, we need technicians who know how to use technology, such as smartphones and tablet computers, and understand how to troubleshoot this increasingly complex equipment." Cobblestone hired five veterans in the past year through Vet2Tech. If you are interested in hiring veterans for positions in your company, simply go to http://vet2tech.org/employer-registration/ to add your company to the Vet2Tech Employer Network. As qualified veteran candidates are recruited in your area their resumes will be sent to you for consideration. Vet2Tech is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping veterans find employment opportunities in manufacturing and technical service careers. Vet2Tech is funded by the generous donations of corporate sponsors, as well as through donations received for each veteran candidate hired. Upon hiring a veteran, Vet2Tech will request a $1,000 tax deductible donation for each veteran hired. Vet2Tech will then work with your company to identify any applicable Federal or State tax incentives and OJT reimbursements that may be available for each veteran candidate. To learn more about Vet2Tech, please visit www.vet2tech.org or call 312-386-7413. HIRING VETERANS IS SMART BUSINESS Non-profit Vet2Tech help companies recruit veterans as technicians & more RO

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