DATE:
September 27, 2022
28
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
INCREASING VETERANS IN THE COUNTY WORKFORCE: HIRING SAN DIEGO HEROES (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Title
OVERVIEW
San Diego County is home to one of the nation's largest population of veterans. As of 2021, more than 200,000 veterans call San Diego County their home.1 The County is not only home to the largest concentration of female veterans in the world numbering over 35,000 but is also expected to become more racially and ethnically diverse. 2 The need for adequate services and support is critical, as the veteran population continues to grow annually; each year an average of approximately 7,000 active-duty service members decide to settle in San Diego County after leaving military service.
One of the challenges of transitioning out of active duty to civilian life is rejoining the workforce. Employers and companies benefit greatly from hiring veterans because of the unique skillset and experience they have in a variety of tasks and responsibilities. Veterans have a strong sense of duty and work well within teams. They possess a strong work ethic and can succeed, even under stressful circumstances. As noted by the Veteran's Administration, "Hiring a Veteran can result in the hiring of a dedicated employee who has developed valuable teamwork, leadership, and job skills."3 The County of San Diego stands to benefit from hiring this highly valued workforce.
However, veterans may face barriers in entering the civilian workforce that their nonveteran peers do not. Veterans face employment barriers for a variety of reasons including difficulty translating military experience to civilian work, lack of job search and interview experience, a supportive work environment, and health issues.4 Because of these barriers, employers must make concerted efforts to recruit the veteran population and adapt to support and meet the needs of the existing veteran workforce.
Although San Diego County is historically known as a mil...
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