Operation Palmetto Employment Recognizes Three Palmetto Military Employers
October 29, 2014
COLUMBIA, SC – Three South Carolina employers were recently recognized for their ongoing commitment to hire and retain military employees: Savannah River Remediation, Verizon Wireless and CB&I.
Operation Palmetto Employment (OPE), South Carolina’s statewide military employment initiative, now offers employers a chance to become certified as a Palmetto Military Employer (PME). Details on the credentialing process were presented to a select group of employers on Wednesday, October 22, along with informative briefings on the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), Veteran On the Job Training, VetSuccess on Campus, and workforce development through readySC™ and Apprenticeship Carolina™.
“This credentialing piece adds some teeth to our program, and provides the metrics and data needed to grow and sustain it,” says Paul Prince, member of the OPE Credentialing Committee and the Volunteer Management Director for S.C. Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). “We look forward to connecting with employers statewide who want to hire veterans and service members — not necessarily because they served, but because they bring a wealth of knowledge, leadership experience and highly transferrable technical skills to the civilian workforce.”
Pictured L-R (attached): Mike Rolfe of CB&I, Project Staffing Supervisor for the V-C Summer Project; Charles Kearse and Kevin Owens, Talent Connectors for Verizon Wireless; Mark Schmitz, Deputy Project Manager and Scott Brown, Veterans Liaison, both of Savannah River Remediation (SRR).
“About 10 percent of our workforce, 196 veterans, are part of our team,” said Schmitz. “I’m proud SRR has helped set the bar in hiring those who have faithfully and bravely protected our nation. We will continue to find ways to tap this important talent pool.” Verizon Wireless has hired 112 service members this year alone in South Carolina, while CB&I currently employs over 900 service members and veterans at five different project sites statewide.
To find OPE resources or representatives in your area, visit [email protected].
