Gov. McCrory launches jobs program to keep vets in state

JACKSONVILLE, NC (WWAY) — Governor Pat McCrory made a stop at Camp Lejeune this afternoon to unveil a veterans employment initiative.

McCrory announced the NC Military Pipeline, a public-private pilot project aimed at keeping newly separated veterans in our state by matching their military skills and experience to civilian employment, education and training opportunities.

“We want veterans to work and raise a family in North Carolina,” McCrory said. “This new jobs pipeline is designed to recognize the unique skills veterans offer and help them launch their civilian lives in the most veteran-friendly state in the nation.”

Cpl. Suzanne Damer says finding work after the military isn’t always easy.

“A lot of my friends who have gotten out are having difficulty finding jobs,” Damer said. “Most people don’t want them. They’re like, ‘Oh you’re a veteran it doesn’t matter,’ but it does matter,” Damer said.

She says it matters because in the military, she found a talent.

“I have a specific skill set,” Damer said. “Critical Thinking.”

Officials say approximately 27,000 service members will separate from their service in the state in 2015. McCrory said veterans are a boost to the workforce because military training has already equipped them with many of the 21st-century skills the state needs in fields such as information technology, manufacturing, transportation and health care.

“We want to not have them have to jump through all these hoops or certification,” McCrory said. “We also want to make it cheaper for them to get a two-year or four-year degree.”

McCrory says the web-based portal gives veterans job opportunities and the state opportunities to recruit big industries.

“No matter who we’re recruiting, whether it’s healthcare or it whether its any big time manufacturing,” McCrory said. “The question is do you have the talent to fill the jobs that we need, and that’s where the military is going to help us fill that gap.”

It’s an opportunity that got Damer one step closer to becoming a corrections officer in Pender County.

“An opportunity like this just doesn’t come around all the time,” Damer said. “So having an interview with them just got me in the door.”