Wisconsin InBusiness: Thinking about hiring a vet? They might be the answer to your skills gap

Almost every state official says Wisconsin must do more to find employment for returning veterans, whose unemployment rate has ranged between 13% and 15% in recent months.

Gov. Scott Walker says it, declaring 2012 the “Year of the Veteran.”

State Veterans Affairs chief John Scocos says it.

Reggie Newson, secretary of the state Department of Workforce Development, says it loud and clear.

Lawmakers in both political parties have said it with words and votes.

This is one example where state officials are not just talking the talk, they are intensifying efforts to link veterans with jobs. Recently enacted legislation has eliminated barriers for returning veterans seeking employment, including waiving the initial license fee for certain occupational licenses and allowing military training to fulfill requirements for specific professional licenses.

The DWD has increased the number of job fairs for veterans (see schedule below), and the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs partnered with Milicruit to create a Wisconsin-specific platform for an online job fair, which was held March 22.

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