Veterans are returning to civilian life with diverse skills and tremendous potential, but many experience hardships transitioning from the military to civilian life. Young veterans, in particular, experience the worst transitional outcomes of any veteran subpopulation.
Nearly seven years of supporting post 9/11 veterans have allowed us to harness the knowledge, network and insights of our partnerships and investments to identify three priorities designed to improve outcomes for young veterans who have selflessly served our country, including:
Having a job lined up before leaving the military is one of the most effective ways to ensure a smooth transition back into civilian life. We worked with the Institute for Veteran and Military Families (IVMF) and the Department of Defense to create “Onward to Opportunity,” a free, on-base training and hiring program, open to active service members, veterans, and military spouses.
Onward to Opportunity initiative impact to date:
In recognition of the unique challenges facing young veterans, the Schultz Family Foundation invested $7 million in four veteran service organizations designed to improve employment outcomes for this subpopulation. Three of the grants will create an integrated system that will support 10,000 junior enlisted veterans from transition to employment and ultimately offer best practices to scale the initiative to serve thousands more. The fourth grant will provide support to tailor training curricula to meet the specific needs of young veterans and introduce new and relevant learning pathways aligned to the career goals of junior enlisted service members.