“The hiring system doesn’t work for too many of our veterans.”
That was the message of Nease High School senior Rigby Wiltfong, 17, as he addressed members of the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra on Jan. 6. Wiltfong detailed his efforts over the past two years to raise awareness of the challenges faced by military veterans transitioning to civilian life. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), roughly 200,000 U.S. service members transition from military to civilian life each year. After leaving the military, some individuals find it challenging to translate their military skills and experience into civilian roles, often experiencing high job turnover in the first couple of years. That’s where programs like Syracuse University’s Onward to Opportunity (O2O) and organizations like Jacksonville’s Operation New Uniform (ONU) are stepping in to help. Over the last two years, Wiltfong has interned with both groups, helping them establish their social media presence and expand their reach. That experience has given him a good understanding of why it’s difficult for some veterans to land a good civilian job after leaving the military.
“Our vets often struggle translating their specialized skills to civilian resumes,” Wiltfong said. “Many of their military job descriptions and achievements don’t easily convert to civilian terms, making their resumes confusing for employers. In addition, veterans often lack civilian licenses or degrees, even with equivalent military experience, which makes it hard for them to land the higher-skilled roles they are qualified for. And even when they do land a civilian job, many find it challenging to build up healthy routines when their highly structured, mission-driven military lifestyle is gone.” For all those reasons, Wiltfong hopes that by raising awareness of the issues confronting veterans in transition, national groups like Rotary will provide more professional mentors for our service members. Florida Rotarians have recently answered that call by joining forces with American Corporate Partners (ACP) in a pilot program to provide mentors to veterans on their waiting list.
“As Rotarians, we believe in being the change we want to see in the world,” said the president of the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra, George Postell. “And as a veteran myself, I understand the need here. I’m happy to know that young people like Rigby are doing their best to bring more people to the cause.” The Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra meets on the first and third Tuesdays of every month, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Really Good Beer Stop in Nocatee. The club regularly hosts guest speakers and welcomes visitors to the meetings. If you’d like to learn more, go to pontevedrarotary.org or email the club at pontevedrarotary@gmail.com.
