Memorial Day is right around the corner, and while that often means the unofficial kickoff to summer, it is officially a holiday to honor the men and women of our armed forces for their courage and sacrifice. And what better way to thank veterans for their service than to offer them a career?
The Member Action Center answers questions about hiring military veterans from time to time. So if you are hiring and want to give a veteran a chance, there are resources available to your company. I should point out that most of the programs do require that the veteran have some sort of an employment barrier, such as a long-term unemployment or a service-related disability.
If you are open to hiring veterans like this, you could save a few thousand dollars on your federal taxes. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit provides federal tax credits of $2,400 to $9,000 to hire the disabled, certain veterans, general assistance recipients and ex-felons. The idea is to enable employees to gradually move from economic dependency to self-sufficiency.
Ready to Work New Jersey takes a more comprehensive approach. This program can help you find the right workers with the right skill sets, and will help with training, job development services and on-the-job training. Veterans are given preference.
Businesses in certain high-demand industries can also qualify for up to 90 percent of the worker’s salary or wage cost during the training period. The qualifying industry sectors are information technology, pharmaceutical/life sciences, and advanced manufacturing.
Finally, NJBIA has partnered with JobPath, a service that connects military veterans to companies that are committed to hiring them. In addition to being a job search service, JobPath provides veterans with opportunities to improve their skills through proven job-training courses. As an NJBIA member, you can reach out to: Jack Fanous, 856-430-8107, or jack.fanous@yourjobpath.com.
Stefanie Riehl is NJBIA’s vice president of Member Value and runs the Member Action Center. If you need assistance with a law or regulation, call 1-800-499-4419 or email member411@njbia.org.
