Hiring Veterans Part of Building a Balanced, Diverse AE Workforce

Attention to detail. A propensity for teamwork. Training and experience in electronics. These are but a few qualities we look for in our employees. Not surprisingly, we’ve discovered military veterans seamlessly transition from “service to country” to “Service Technicians” because their experience is ingrained with a skill set and work ethic which aligns well with the job requirements at Advance Energy.

As Veterans Day approaches, we want to recognize all veterans for their service. They and their families have earned our respect, and we are taking steps to help Vets return to civilian life. For us, there’s something intrinsically valuable about saying, “thank you” to people who have put themselves in harm’s way for a few years and now are ready to take the next step in their career path.

We have been working over the past two years to develop recruiting strategies which make it easier to find highly qualified candidates. You might recall I wrote about our Service Center Scholarship Program last June. This initiative includes funding for veterans and high school graduates who are considering or attending technical community colleges. We also attend job fairs on military bases and reach out to military Transition Coordinators to find women and men who are preparing to reenter the civilian job market. We generally identify compatible Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors by their military occupation specialty (MOS, a designation assigned based on the job); this allows us to match training, experience, and duties with the role AE requires. We’ve also had success through referrals. Current AE employees who are former service members are an excellent source of identifying other transitioning military members, as well as providing a sense of family to those who have never lived in Colorado and have no family nearby.

It’s important to note that AE has always supported the men and women of the Department of Defense. I am an 18-year AE employee. When I started here, as a Technician, the person who trained me had been a Marine. After I gained experience, my first two trainees were an Air Force Master Sergeant and Marine Radar Repair Technician.  

While I’m proud to report 50 percent of my team are veterans, I’m equally honored to know the other half of my group are also pillars of the community, who have a strong sense of ethics and volunteerism, especially in our schools and community. We truly hire according to a person’s skills, experience and character, and I’m confident my colleagues share this attitude and recognize the importance of a balanced, diverse work force.

In 1926, Congress officially declared November 11 to be a national holiday called Armistice Day. In 1938, it was changed to Veterans Day to honor veterans of all wars. On the 11^th of November this year,  I trust we will all take a moment to recognize their sacrifice.