Veterans, meet tech jobs: VetsinTech program launches this week

An upcoming evening program this week in San Francisco will connect veterans with tech jobs.

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We have waves of new veterans coming back from overseas deployments to a job market that is already pretty tight. Across the board, the unemployment rate among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan is staggering, nearly quadrupling over the last five years to nearly 15 percent, compared to the national average of 8 percent.

However, we have nearly 150,000 new tech jobs going unfilled every year in the U.S. It would make sense to connect up these new vets with a little training so they can qualify for these tech jobs, right?

Well, the launch of the first-ever VetsinTech program is coming up this week in San Francisco at Adobe’s landmark offices in the heart of  the city’s “Multimedia Gulch,” and it is aimed at doing exactly that. VetsinTech supports our current and returning veterans with re-integration services, and by connecting them to the Bay Area technology ecosystem. ViT is committed to bringing together a tech-specific network, resources, and programs for our veterans interested in education, entrepreneurship, and employment.

I really hope to see you there. And if you cannot come, at least pass the word! Here are a few words from the upcoming press release. The event will be held at the Adobe offices at 601 Townsend Street, San Francisco, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. July 31.

The program aims to connect returning veterans with the technology community and provide support for education, entrepreneurship and employment. VetsinTech is the first initiative of its kind.

We are committed to giving back by bringing together a tech-specific network, resources, and programs for our veterans interested in pursuing technology careers.

Nearly one million of our veterans are currently unemployed, but the tech industry is hiring like crazy right now. There 8,000 tech jobs open in San Francisco alone, and some tech companies are hiring in the thousands. Our mission is to bring these vets together with the tech community, fill some of those open jobs and start building relationships.

The current generation of veterans has had more exposure to technology than any other. They have amazing leadership, problem-solving skills, and discipline, but they also have a great understanding of social media, mobile technologies, and more. Many are poised to take on careers in the technology industry and we need to support them.

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VetsinTech itself is poised to provide veterans with opportunities and avenues of support, to help them address skills gaps and transition into tech careers — whether they choose to enter an existing tech company or follow a more entrepreneurial path and create their own start-up.

Craig Mullaney, serves as VP Operations and Strategy at Ustream.TV in San Francisco, will give the keynote address at the ViT launch event on July 31st. “Today’s conflicts have produced veterans uniquely poised to lead teams under pressure and to find innovative solutions in complex, ambiguous environments,” said Mullaney.

Other notables attending the launch event include Craig Newmark (craigslist, craigconnects), San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, and Supervisor and President of the SF Board of Supervisors David Chiu.

Register for tickets to the launch here.

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This post originally appeared in PeriVisioN