Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/770187
12 November, 2016 l Working World l WorkingWorld.com I ncluding the many military veterans, I've worked alongside over my career, as well as my family members who have served, I've always been inspired by the men and women around the world who have dedicated their lives to protecting and serving their countries. Here in the United States, our veterans and their families have made tremendous sacrifices, and at Hilton, we are committed to ensuring they have a great career when they return home from service. This philosophy has always been a part of our DNA, and in 2013, we took our commitment to the next level with a big goal: to hire 10,000 veterans, spouses and dependents over the next five years. Our logic was simple: we saw that approximately 10 percent of post- 9/11 veterans were unemployed and active duty military were transitioning to civilian life at a rate of more than 250,000 per year. We had the chance to welcome these veterans and their family members into our company and to help them build lifelong careers with us, so we launched Operation: Opportunity as our way to be part of the solution. HILTON WORLDWIDE'S OPERATION: OPPORTUNITY INCLUDES: An exclusive military family rate will be available at hundreds of participating hotels across the country for active and retired U.S. military who book with a special rate code and present a valid military I.D. at check-in; A dedicated military career website, www. hiltonworldwide.com/militarycareers, which can match military skills with complementary open positions at Hilton Worldwide; A Team Member Resource Group for veterans at Hilton Worldwide, which will launch later this year to promote professional growth and provide perspective to the company from their unique vantage point; and A campaign to build awareness among veterans that a world-class hospitality company is seeking their skills and experience at all levels. The Hilton HHonors hotel stays will be for use in the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii for veterans to pursue job opportunities in any industry. They will be granted to facilitate job interviews, skills training or certification, and other job-seeking activities. To help distribute these stays, Hilton Worldwide and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) have established a unique public/ private initiative. NASWA is an association of publicly- funded state workforce agencies who administer employment services, job training programs, unemployment insurance laws, employment statistics and labor market information. NASWA will distribute HHonors allocations to these agencies, which then will provide the stays to veterans and their families through 2,651 American Job Centers (AJCs). "The publicly-funded workforce system serves nearly two million registered veterans annually, offering access to job openings and employment resources. State workforce agencies FEATURE ARTICLE by Chris Nassetta, President and CEO at Hilton Worldwide What We've Learned from Hiring 10,000 Veterans at Hilton I think it's important for everyone to understand that veterans are incredible assets for a company, and they bring highly transferable skills, experience and values – things like discipline, organization, problem-solving and teamwork.