The U.S. Department of Defense estimates that enlisted service members will leave the military at a rate of nearly 245,000 each year — many of them without the necessary tech skills to secure a job in today’s economy. Military spouses also face barriers to employment because of their mobile lifestyle, leading to increasingly high unemployment rates among this group. That’s why, today, we announced new workforce development initiatives that include extending training opportunities and accelerating hiring of the military community.
With our new Vetforce Alliance, we aim to create a larger movement to hire more veterans and military spouses in Salesforce ecosystem jobs. This alliance is an initiative of the Salesforce Vetforce program and is in partnership with Accenture Federal Services and Prudential . Together, the collective goal of this alliance is to create a larger movement that drives additional companies to hire military service members, veterans and spouses.
“We know veterans make great employees,” said retired Army Maj. Gen. George Franz, who is now the Managing Director and Defense Cybersecurity Lead for Accenture Federal Services. “Transitioning veterans have an incredible work ethic and an innate desire to work together to accomplish a mission. Teaching them the new technical skills they need to be an asset to our company — so that they can better provide vital services for our customers — is essentially a win-win. In reality, they never stop serving; they’re now just contributing in a different but critical way.”
What is Salesforce Vetforce?
Vetforce gives military service members and their spouses access to a community of fellow learners and self-paced technical training with Trailhead, Salesforce’s free online learning platform. Since its launch in 2014, 15,000 members of the military community have joined Vetforce to gain valuable skills, earn certifications, and land meaningful careers in the Salesforce ecosystem.
“Transitioning out of the military and into the civilian workforce is exciting, but can be challenging for service members,” said Franklin Aldridge, an Army veteran and Vetforce alum who is now a System Developer Associate employed by Accenture Federal Services in San Antonio. “In addition to providing technical training, the Vetforce program offers mentorship opportunities and employment preparation to help veterans translate their leadership, teamwork, and project management abilities into the skills valued by potential employers.”
Through its participation in the Vetforce Alliance, Accenture Federal Services will guarantee interviews in Washington, D.C. and San Antonio for individuals who complete the Vetforce program with a Salesforce certification. Prudential will commit to increasing the number of military veterans and spouses in Salesforce careers in El Paso, Texas.
“This alliance is an important complement to Prudential’s ongoing efforts to create viable career pathways for members of the military community, especially in our El Paso-based operations,” said Chuck Sevola, Head of Veterans Initiatives at Prudential Financial. “By helping to upskill the local workforce with technology training, we are equipping veterans and military spouses with the competencies they need to secure quality jobs and ultimately financial wellness.”
In reality, they never stop serving; they’re now just contributing in a different but critical way” Retired Army Maj. Gen. George Franz Managing Director | Defense Cybersecurity Lead for Accenture Federal Services
A commitment to military service members, veterans, and spouses
The Vetforce Alliance is just one of many efforts we’ve taken to make reskilling and professional development possible for veterans and their spouses – Military Salesforce Trailblazers. We’ve also made commitments to these organizations:
- Hiring our Heroes: We joined an impactful partnership with this nationwide initiative from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find meaningful job opportunities.
- Joining Forces: As part of this nationwide initiative calling all Americans to rally around service members, veterans, and their families, we pledged to provide free training to 35,000 veterans, military spouses, and transitioning service members by 2021.
The Vetforce Alliance is the natural progression in reaching and ultimately exceeding our goal.
To join the Vetforce Alliance:
- Commit to offering automatic interviews for any veteran or military spouse that completes the Vetforce Program; and/or,
- Provide re-skilling opportunities for veteran and military spouse employees at your company through the Vetforce Program
If you’re a veteran or military spouse and you want to learn Salesforce skills for free, register for the Vetforce program. If you’re a Salesforce customer or partner and you want to join the Alliance, sign up here and take the Strengthen and Diversify Your Workforce with Military Veterans trail on Trailhead to learn more.
