Google has intensified its "Grow with Google" program following the release of tools that will help military veterans find a job after their service.
Erstwhile members of the military can now look for "jobs for veterans," by indicating the military branch they served in and go after job openings that match their skills. In addition, Google will also let companies categorize themselves whether as "veteran-owned" or "veteran-led" in Google Maps and mobile search results.
Pepsi, FedEx, and the Getting Hired employment firm have already included Google's military feature on their career sites. Google became the third major company after Walmart and Home Depot to concentrate efforts in assisting veterans to transition to new careers.
"The transition process is complex, and we hope Grow with Google's new tools and resources can play a part in making that easier. At Google, we believe technology has the power to improve lives. With today's announcement, we look forward to working with America's transitioning service members to help them succeed in civilian life," Lisa Gevelber, Google's vice president of Grow with Google, said in a statement.
Google reiterated that roughly 10 percent of the total number of small businesses are owned or majority owned by military veterans. Consequently, Google also donated a $2.5 million grant to the United Service Organizations with the hopes of helping the nonprofit organization provide in-depth IT support to military veterans and their spouses.
New Google's Tools To Decrease Military Underemployment
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, military veterans often struggle to find high-paying civilian jobs once they decide to leave active duty. In a survey conducted by ZipRecruiter and nonprofit organization, Call of Duty Endowment, results showed that one in three veterans said they are "underemployed" or working at a job subordinate to their talent level.
Matthew Hudson, a program manager for Google Cloud and an Air Force veteran, mentioned that they are hoping to use their tools in helping veterans maximize the opportunities available to them in various fields. The unemployment rate among military veterans stood at 3 percent as of July this year.
"I'm proud that my fellow veteran Googlers and I had the chance to provide input on these tools to make sure we're best serving those who so dutifully served our country," Hudson said.
Apart from veterans, military spouses have also struggled to find a job as 16 percent of them are experiencing unemployment, which is four times the national average for women. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump announced an executive order to help military spouses find a job in federal agencies.
Photo: The U.S. Army | Flickr
