Kamenetz Announces Hiring Preferences For Veterans

Maryland Army National Guard Sgt. Leila McLean plans to re-enlist when her current tour of service is done in 2014. But the Odenton resident knows plenty of soldiers who leave service and have trouble finding work.

"There's soldiers I know, their spouses are pregnant and didn't have health care benefits," McLean said. "So there are definitely struggling soldiers out there who want to better and want to provide better opportunities to their families."

Veterans applying for jobs in Baltimore County government will move to the front of the line under a new hiring policy expected to be announced Tuesday by County Executive .

Kamenetz announced the policy in an event at the in Towson, where he was joined by state and local officials and the county's mobile career center.

Under the new policy, veterans who pass the entry exam for the police, fire, sheriff and corrections departments will be given hiring priority. In other departments where there is no entry exam, veterans will be given priority when two or more equally qualified candidates apply for a vacancy, according to a statement released by the county.

The county currently has four job openings listed online, but spokeswoman Ellen Kobler said more jobs may be open once departments get a better understanding of their needs.

"There is no monument we can build, nor words we can offer that are equal to the sacrifice and achievements of our veterans," said Kamenetz. "So as a grateful community, we want to help make their return home not only as easy as possible, but as successful as possible."

The mobile career center, and other county agencies will participate in the National Guard's Yellow Ribbon Reintegration events that are designed to help soldiers transition back into civilian life. The van includes six computers with Internet access, a printer and two career consultants.

The county offers other services for veterans and their families including:

• Assistance in obtaining federal housing vouchers for homeless veterans.
• Services to help incarcerated veterans transition back into the community.
• Training to all county departments to help employees recognize signs of brain injury, post-traumatic stress and substance abuse issues.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010, 11.5 percent of military veterans who had served since 2001 were unemployed, compared to 9.4 percent for nonveterans. Reserve or national guard veterans experienced 14 percent unemployment in July 2010, according to numbers released in October.

"There's a tendency among the soldiers to put things on hold," said Lt. Col. Charles Kohler, a national guard spokesman. "The deployments create a break in their life cycle."

Programs like the county's career assistance and the hiring preferences help bridge the gap for soldiers returning home who are looking to get back on their feet.

"Any veteran that's looking for a job or an opportunity, this is something exciting and really simple for them to use," Kohler said.

McLean grabbed brochures and calendars to take to fellow guard members. 

"Now (the county is) looking for these veterans, trying to step forward and help them to secure opportunity and employment for their families as well as for themselves," she said.