[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 167 (Thursday, November 3, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1996-E1997]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             INTRODUCTION OF THE HIRE VETERANS ACT OF 2011

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                         HON. BRIAN P. BILBRAY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 3, 2011

  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, as Americans celebrate Veterans' Day this 
year it is important to take time and reflect on the infinite 
contributions and sacrifices the men, women, and families of those who 
have served in our Armed Forces. Our commitment to veterans should not 
end with their service, we must show our gratitude by offering them 
every opportunity to experience the American dream that they fought to 
protect.
  With a veteran unemployment rate of 22 percent nationwide, much more 
needs to be done to create an environment that helps the private sector 
hire men and women who have served our country in uniform, more than 
250,000 of whom live in San Diego County. That is why I am pleased to 
introduce the Help Inspire and Retrain our Exceptional (HIRE) Veterans 
Act of 2011 along with my colleague, Congressman John Barrow of 
Georgia.
  Over the next two years, as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan begin to 
wind down, more veterans will find themselves searching for jobs in the 
civilian workforce. One of the biggest obstacles for unemployed 
veterans is connecting to employers. The HIRE Veterans Act of 2011 
helps overcome this obstacle and provides opportunities to valuable 
members of our community with the resources they need to transition 
from the armed services to a civilian workforce. This legislation will 
authorize grants to be awarded by the Department of Commerce to local 
Chambers of Commerce to create job training, apprenticeship, and 
internship programs for local veterans.
  The time to act is now. As part of the record, I am submitting 
letters of support from the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and the San 
Diego North Chamber of Commerce. These letters emphasize the importance 
of this legislation and describe how local Chambers and businesses can 
help HIRE veterans.


                                 Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce,

                                                 November 2, 2011.
     Hon. Brian Bilbray,
     Member of Congress, Rayburn House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Bilbray: I am writing to support the 
     proposed Help Inspire and Retrain our Exceptional (HIRE) 
     Veterans Act you are proposing in the upcoming session.
       The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce is the 10th largest 
     Chamber in the State of California and the second largest in 
     San Diego County. We are located adjacent to the large Marine 
     Corps Base at Camp Pendleton and as such see first-hand the 
     serious unemployment problem facing our young veterans. In 
     response to the problem we have created the Boots in Business 
     Military Mentoring Initiative to allow as many of the 8,000 
     veterans leaving the service from Camp Pendleton each 
     calendar year to mentor with civilian employers across the 
     county.
       The main issue facing these veterans is competing for jobs 
     with civilians in the region is their ability to see first-
     hand the types of jobs in the marketplace and learn what 
     employers are looking for when they hire someone both in 
     experience and education.
       Our mission is to help military personnel in the last weeks 
     of their active duty term learn about the business world 
     through job shadowing 60 to 90 days prior to their discharge 
     date. By showing them what it's like to work in a variety of 
     professions, local companies will help veterans make smart 
     future career and educational decisions. Our program (a 
     Memorandum of Understanding MOU) is a collaborative effort 
     between the Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton, the Carlsbad 
     Chamber of Commerce and many local businesses that are 
     willing to provide a variety of job shadowing experiences to 
     active military members and their spouses as they prepare to 
     enter civilian life.
       Military members are allowed up to 30 days of paid 
     Temporary Additional Duty to be mentored, so they can shadow 
     as many civilian jobs as possible during that time. A 
     mentoring activity can be one day, one week or even one month 
     in duration, depending on the goals of the veteran, the 
     number of positions shadowed, and the depth of involvement 
     with each position.
       We are providing resume writing, job interviews, and first-
     hand experience test driving as many jobs that they desire in 
     order to see if the job fits how they can compete to get it. 
     There is no charge for our program and their spouses are 
     equally allowed to participate.
       If the veteran decides to return to his or her home town we 
     have arranged with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to contact 
     the local city chamber of commerce and notify them of the 
     arrival of a new veteran and have them arrange business 
     introductions were possible.
       We endorse your proposed legislation 100%. The soaring 
     unemployment rate adds another layer of difficulty to the job 
     search experience. Your legislation will go a long way toward 
     allowing Chambers across the country with veterans in their 
     community have a fair chance to be hired and begin a 
     meaningful career.
           Respectfully,

                                                    Ted Owens,

                                                    President/CEO.
                                     Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.

[[Page E1997]]


     
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                                                  San Diego North,


                                          Chamber of Commerce,

                                                 November 2, 2011.
     Subject: Support of ``HIRE Veterans Act of 2011''

     Hon. Brian Bilbray,
     U.S. Representative, 2410 Rayburn Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Bilbray: We, the San Diego North Chamber 
     of Commerce, support your proposed legislation titled, ``Help 
     Inspire and Retrain our Exceptional Veterans Act of 2011.'' 
     In a time of economic uncertainty and high unemployment, your 
     legislation would allow for local chambers of commerce to 
     provide assistance for those who have honorably served.
       As organizations that are familiar with local employer 
     needs and that are able to provide workforce training, 
     Chambers of Commerce are a bridge between businesses with 
     open positions and job seekers such as our returning military 
     men and women. This bill will ensure that our veterans are 
     better prepared for job opportunities in our communities by 
     funding training workshops, resume writing and interview 
     classes, and career coaching.
       In areas like San Diego, where returning military often 
     choose to retire, our organizations hear from veterans on a 
     constant basis looking for career development advice and 
     jobs. This bill will allow these veterans to be better served 
     and better prepared as they seek opportunities after their 
     service.
       This Act will help prepare our veterans and help local 
     economies get back on their feet. For these reasons, the San 
     Diego North Chamber of Commerce supports the ``HIRE Veterans 
     Act of 2011.''
           Sincerely,

                                                  Debra Rosen,

                                                President and CEO,
     San Diego North Chamber of Commerce.

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