Google has increased their effort to help military veterans find better jobs after returning to civilian life with their new “veteran-led” identifier.
Google My Business now has the ability for former military members to now search for jobs openings that match their skills. Google My Business now also allows businesses to identify as “veteran-owned” or “veteran-led” in Google Maps and on mobile search results.
Former military members can now search “jobs for veterans,” enter the military branch they served in and see results for job openings that match their skill set. Google is excited to help military members re-enter the workforce once they’ve finished their military career.
“We hope to use our technology to help veterans understand the full range of opportunities open to them across many different fields. Right now, those opportunities are getting lost in translation,” said Matthew Hudson, a program manager for Google Cloud and an Air Force veteran, in a blog post.
Hudson also stated, “I’m proud that my fellow veteran Googlers and I had the chance to provide input on these tools to make sure we’re best serving those who so dutifully served our country,”
Google is committed to supporting veterans through technology and even announced that they will be donating a $2.5 million grant to the USO to fund Google-specific IT training to former military personnel.
With more than 2.5 million business in the U.S. owned by veterans, this new Google My Business feature seeks to help business owners and former military members alike. Google’s Sean O’Keefe, a former Staff Sergeant in the US Army, is proud to help his fellow military community stating:
“More than 2.5 million businesses in the U.S. are majority-owned by veterans and one way that I stay connected to the veteran community is by supporting those veteran-owned businesses. It’s something I can do all throughout my day, whether I’m grabbing a coffee or recommending a local restaurant to a friend.”
Now that business owners can enable this “veteran-led” feature in their Google My Business listing, patrons will see that their establishment is “veteran-led” in the details of their business next to other details like “Has WIFI” or “Outdoor Seating.”
With 25% of transitioning service members stating they want to start their own business, Google is now making it easier for them to do so. 9% of all U.S. businesses are owned by veterans and with Google My Business’s new feature. Military members can now better support each other and connect thanks to the new “veteran-led” attribute.
Many people want to do all that they can to support our veterans and now with Google My Business’s new feature, people can do this much more easily. If you are looking to enable this feature on your Google My Business listing, follow these simple steps to enable your listing as “veteran-led”.
- Sign in to Google My Business.
- Open the location you’d like to manage.
- From the menu, click ‘Info’.
- Find the ‘Attributes’ section and click the Pencil icon.
- Either search for the attribute you want to add or scroll through all the available options for your business.
- When you’re finished updating your attributes, click ‘Apply’.
With a new set of initiatives to support veterans through technology, Google has also begun to help former military members launch their new career in technology. With Google’s IT Support Professional Certificate, veterans can get qualified for an entry-level job in IT support in eight months or less.
After completion of this certificate, Google will even help connect these new IT support professionals with potential employers. With Google’s $2.5 million grant to the USO, veterans are even eligible for scholarships to help them enter the IT field once they’ve completed their service.
With over 150,000 unfilled IT support jobs across the U.S. and that number expected to grow by 11% over the next decade, Google is ensuring that once our military heroes have completed their service, they will have the necessary skills to re-enter the workforce and be able to provide for their family.
“The transition process is complex, and we hope Grow with Google’s new tools and resources can play a part in making that easier,” Lisa Gevelber, Google’s vice president of Grow with Google, said in a statement. “At Google, we believe technology has the power to improve lives. With today’s announcement, we look forward to working with America’s transitioning service members to help them succeed in civilian life.”
Not only is Google looking to help veterans re-enter the workforce after their military career but they’re also looking to help military spouses find work that suits their skills and helps them better provide for their family as well.
Over 250,000 military service members transition out of the military each year and now, thanks to Google, these veterans can search for jobs that match the skills they learned in their military career.
Google is also helping veterans become IT professionals and fill the 150,000 open IT jobs in the U.S., helping to improve the IT field.
Lastly, Google is helping military members connect with and support each other by enabling “veteran-led” descriptions on Google My Business. With this new identifier, Google has made it simple for military members and civilians alike to support their local “veteran-led” businesses and connect with veterans.
