Non-profit Veterans organization calls for mentors to help veterans launch civilian careers

organization. American Corporate Partners is. working to combat the combat, the underemployment of veterans. by matching them with mentors. who can help them transition. into civilian careers. Joining us now, ACP founder, Sid Goodfriend. We should mention that MSNOW's parent company, Versant is one of the participating. partners of ACP. Sid, great to see you. Such an important endeavor. So many veterans come back and really struggle. to reenter everyday lives.

That includes the workforce. Tell us more about your program. So I started this program in 2008. at the time of the surge in Iraq, and we had so many people who were serving. over there, including people in the National Guard. They signed up maybe for hurricane relief, and they find themselves. AND I REALIZED THAT WE WEREN'T REALLY THINKING. AS A COUNTRY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. FOR THESE MEN AND WOMEN WHEN THEY CAME HOME. YOU KNOW, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN. THIS COUNTRY. IS JUST OVER 4%. SO THE THOUGHT IS ANYBODY can get a job. But the statistics don't distinguish. between working, well,

working in adversity or working. in a restaurant, right? You're working or you're not working. And so what we focus on is the quality. of the job. The focus is on underemployment as opposed. to unemployment for those who served. Our program is open to any person who serves. on active duty since 9-11, and in recent years we've opened it. up to active duty spouses as well. The mentoring.

Well, when I started the program, corporate support was phenomenal. Support from senior levels on down. whether it be asking people to. volunteer our effort that there are. a lot of different WE'RE NOT BY. ANY MEANS THE ONLY ONE. THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPANIES. THAT WERE SUPPORTING NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS, PHILANTHROPICALLY AS WELL. RECENTLY, CERTAINLY IN THE LAST FIVE OR SO YEARS, A LOT OF THAT SUPPORT HAS DRIED. WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE THAT IS? I NEVER MET A CORPORATE EXECUTIVE WHO SAYS WE.

DON'T CARE ABOUT THE MILITARY. THEY ALL DO, BUT THEY JUST MOVED ON. OTHER PRIORITIES. I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD CAUSES, BUT RECENTLY, RAND, WE COMMISSIONED A STUDY THAT. RAND RELEASED JUST IN THE LAST. FEW IT SHOWS THAT CORPORATE HIRING OF VETERANS, PARTICULARLY AMONG FEDERAL CONTRACTORS. HAS DECLINED AND IT SHOWED THAT CORPORATE. HIRING OF VETERANS, PARTICULARLY AMONG FEDERAL CONTRACTORS HAS. DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT YEARS. CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY ALMOST DOESN'T EXIST TO. SUPPORT THE.

FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT CORPORATIONS PROVIDE. PHILANTHROPHICALLY, A LOT OF COMPANIES HAVE LARGE FOUNDATIONS, A NUMBER OF THEM DON'T, BUT A NUMBER DO. FOR EVERY EVERY DOLLAR LESS THAN 1 HALF OF. 1 PERCENT SUPPORTS MILITARY OR VETERANS CAUSES. SO THINK ABOUT IT. YOU HAVE A MASON JAR FILLED. IT'S NOT BEEN TOP OF MIND FOR. A LOT OF CORPORATE LEADERS. THAT'S IN PART BECAUSE SO MANY CORPORATE LEADERS. ARE PEOPLE IN THE C-Suite.

haven't served themselves or family haven't and we're. hoping. that over the next few years. that that may reverse. So obviously your program focuses. on corporate partners, but those watching at home, maybe maybe they're a CEO. or maybe they're just an average viewer. What can they do? So and person's been a terrific partner for here. So we are now looking for individuals to sign up. as mentors. When I started the program, we were American corporate. partners. We found so many people who are interested.

in joining us, we've evolved to ACP. And there on the screen is the impact. Now that impact looks really terrific, but I want to keep in mind 79 % of our. THEY WENT INTO THE MILITARY AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. ALMOST 40 % DON'T HAVE A FOUR- YEAR. DEGREE, SO WHEN THEY'RE COMING TO OUR. PROGRAM, QUITE A NUMBER OF THEM, THOSE. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SHOW IS VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.

PEOPLE COULD SIGN UP TO BE MENTORS, YOUR AUDIENCE RIGHT NOW, IF YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN DOING THIS, WE DON'T HAVE TOO WE HAVE TOO MANY ON-AIR. TOO MANY ON-AIR TELEVISION. TALENT, BUT WE HAVE PLENTY OF. ACCOUNTANTS AND RETIRED. WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE IN. THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND IN THE. PUBLIC SECTOR WHO SIGNED UP. SOME OF THEM ARE PRETTY PROMINENT. GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE BASEBALL TEAM IS A MENTOR. IN OUR PROGRAM. SENIOR executives from versant. um the parent company of course.

of ms now are uh in our program uh cfo. of a major insurance company are. but normal people like you me or people. in the audience we'd welcome them. Well it's certainly an important program. for more on how to get involved. with American corporate partners you can. go to this website ACP-USA .org. Sid Goodfriend thank you so much. for being here and thank you. for the work that you're doing. and of course we will say once. more thank you to all those who. have served our great nation. in our armed services on this veteran's day.

We are thinking of you and we are deeply. grateful. That does it for us this morning.