Contact: Eric Searing
Veterans Industries
414-384-2000 Ext. 46931
MILWAUKEE – There used to be an old Marine Corps recruiting motto that said, "We’re looking for a few good men."
Veterans Industries would like the Wisconsin business community to know that their motto is "We’re looking for a few good employers."
What is Veterans Industries? We are a vocational rehabilitation program of the Department of Veterans Affairs that sub-contracts with many and diverse industries. Veterans Industries provides temporary-to-hire and permanent staffing for manufacturing, warehousing, custodial services and other service delivery industries.
We also can provide outsource support to businesses that have assembly, packaging, sorting, and inspection needs.
By working with area employers, we are able to provide veterans with a recent work history and the opportunity to develop marketable skills.
Employers working with Veterans Industries can enjoy numerous benefits. They do not have to pay FICA taxes, workers compensation insurance and unemployment insurance.
The employer is also provided a no-obligation opportunity to evaluate workers prior to hiring them into permanent positions.
Should an employer decide to hire a veteran as a full-time employee, that employer may also be entitled to receive the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.
The Veterans Industries program operates at over 108 locations nationally and can be found in Milwaukee, Madison and Tomah.
Veterans Industries Milwaukee has over 60 veterans participating in the program in various capacities from warehousing to manufacturing to working on the Zablocki VA Medical Center campus in custodial positions and at the center’s sign shop.
Veterans Industries Milwaukee is proud of the relationships that it has developed in the community and is hoping to expand those relationships as the Wisconsin economy rebounds.
A cornerstone of success at Veterans Industries Milwaukee has been the program’s Institutional Housekeeping Training Program through which participants learn to be custodians at hospitals and other facilities.
Through this program, the veterans are given over 365 hours of hands-on training and awarded a certificate of completion upon graduation from the training.
Much of the housekeeping training is conducted inside the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center and candidates must meet Wisconsin Caregiver Law requirements in order to be eligible for training.
"I am very pleased with the individuals from Veterans Industries. I assumed that I would get trained quality personnel and I did," said Dan Smith, an Account Manager for Johnson Controls who recently hired three graduates of the Housekeeping Training Program on as full-time employees.
Manufacturing & Signage
Veterans Industries Milwaukee is also proud of the partnerships that it has forged with Wisconsin manufacturers.
We not only want to assist veterans in finding employment opportunities, but also want to assist manufacturers in finding creative ways to save money on production costs and over-time hours.
Much of the work that the veterans complete in the fulfillment shop is based on piece rates that are quoted through time studies.
The more the veteran completes, the more the veteran is paid. Many of the veterans employed through Veterans Industries fulfillment services have suffered debilitating back and spinal cord injuries.
Veterans Industries can also work with manufacturers just as they can with any other employer interested in training and hiring Veterans Industries veterans for their growing workforce.
Howard Arnson, Chief Executive Officer of Oconomowoc based D&H Industries has been doing just that.
"All the people at D&H Industries are proud to work with the VA work program," he said.
"The guys have been great workers, and their hard work and dedication have been deeply appreciated. The VA Team shows a devotion to these guys – who deserve a second chance in their lives. Thanks for again for letting us be part of their success."
In addition to working with manufacturers, we have a sign-making facility. For ten years, we have been working with hospitals, schools and many other facilities to produce high quality, competitively priced ADA compliance signage.
Providing Future Opportunities
Veterans Industries is always seeking new opportunities. The more opportunities that we can create today means the more veterans we can serve tomorrow.
Veterans Industries works with a diverse population of veterans who have voluntarily committed themselves to returning to the workforce and over coming obstacles in their lives. Veterans Industries is seeking a hand up in helping our nation’s heroes.
If you would like to participate in the Veterans Industries program or would like more information, please contact Eric Searing, at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee at 414-384-2000 Ext. 46931.
