And now for something just a little bit different:
If you’ve followed this blog since we first launched Elevate America, you know that we have twelve states up and running in the program so far: Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington.
So if I asked you to guess the next program to kick off under the Elevate America banner, it’d be a trick question… because it’s not any of the 38 remaining states, but rather military veterans from across the United States.
Nearly 185,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are unemployed—a figure about 20% higher than the norm for non-veterans, according to Pamela Passman, our CVP of Global Affairs.
Over the next two years, we’ll donate $2 million in cash and $6 million in software to organizations that provide veterans (and their spouses) with career counseling, technology training, job placement, and other services. If you’re an active duty service member or National Guard or Reserve member transitioning back into civilian life, this program is to support you.
For more information, see the Elevate America: Veterans site.