Pittsburgh Area Companies Unite to Support Job Placement for Disabled Veterans

BNY Mellon and Aon host "Salute to America's Wounded Warriors," Promote Boots to Business Approach to Employment

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 28, 2011 - Many U.S. service men and women return from active duty only to become part of a growing group of unemployed veterans. A number of Pittsburgh area companies are uniting with organizations that support job placement for disabled veterans and help raise awareness of this growing concern.

Earlier today, dozens of local veterans looking for careers in business met with more than 40 area companies at "Salute to America's Wounded Warriors," a day-long event hosted by BNY Mellon and Aon. General Richard B. Myers, Retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; BNY Mellon Chairman, President and CEO Gerald Hassell; and Aon President and CEO Greg Case led the program held at BNY Mellon Center in downtown Pittsburgh.

Attendees received training on conducting a successful job search from the outplacement firm of Lee Hecht Harrison and participated in a networking session with representatives and hiring managers from a wide range of industries.  BNY Mellon also announced that it had made a $100,000 grant from its BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania to support Operation Back Home, the Veterans Leadership Program's basic needs assistance program for veterans, service members, and their families.

"All of us should be very proud of the men and women serving our country and fighting for our freedoms," General Myers said. "Despite their unwavering courage, many of these men and women return home from duty only to become part of a growing group of unemployed and underemployed veterans that has reached dire levels."

"Our goal in joining with the Wounded Warrior Project, the Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania and other members of the business community is to help veterans go from 'boots to business' by successfully transitioning into the private sector," said Gerald Hassell. "By helping skilled individuals who have sacrificed so much for us, we can give them a chance to achieve economic independence and help restore our communities along the way."

"Transitioning into the civilian workforce and developing a new sense of identity are powerful tools in the rehabilitation process for wounded warriors. We thank all of the Pittsburgh area businesses for assisting these brave men and women during their journey to discovering a new career path," said Greg Case.
"Wounded Warrior Project aims to make this the most successful and well-adjusted generation of veterans in our nation's history," stated Wounded Warrior Project Chief Program Officer Jeremy Chwat.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate for veterans serving at any time since September 2001 was 11.5 percent in 2010. The jobless rate for veterans of all eras combined and U.S. civilians over the same period was 8.7 and 9.4 percent, respectively.  Since the beginning of the Gulf War era in August 1990, more than 5 million veterans have served. Pennsylvania has a long and distinguished history of military service and a very large concentration of veterans; nearly one million veterans live in the Commonwealth, representing the 4th largest population of veterans within the U.S.