McAuliffe Discusses Improving Veteran Employment

By Drew Hansen

Gubernatorial hopeful Terry McAuliffe said he wants to make Virginia the top state for providing employment opportunities for veterans.

The Democrat visited SBG Technology Solutions, a veteran-owned business in Alexandria, on Friday for a roundtable where he touched on his plan to streamline the process for veterans to find civilian work.

“Everyone talks about it and everyone has good intentions, but we really have to take it to the next level and match those employment opportunities with the folks who are coming back [to the civilian workforce],” McAuliffe said. “Everyone says they want to hire veterans, but we really have to take it to the next level and connect it so it’s actually happening.”

McAuliffe said he wants to appoint a chief credentialing officer of Virginia who would assist in certifying veterans in the private sector for the training they received in the military.

“You’ve spent time training,” McAuliffe said. “We’ve spent a lot of money to have you trained. Why would you possibly come back and not automatically have a certificate so you can go right into the workforce?”

McAuliffe mentioned incentivizing military doctors and medics exiting the military to fill a shortage of doctors in rural Virginia.

Forum attendees asked the candidate to make sure veterans receive the employment process treatment that is promised. It’s an issue at job fairs and similar employment events, they said.

McAuliffe, who participated in a barb-trading economic forum with Republican opponent Ken Cuccinelli earlier Friday in Manassas, also touted his plan to bring clean-energy to Virginia as a way to create jobs for veterans. He said Virginia doesn’t have a renewable energy standard while neighboring states continue to invest in wind power technologies.   

By making an investment, McAuliffe said new jobs would be created in the manufacturing turbines, blades and rotor poles.

“We have to show we’re a player in that game,” McAuliffe said.