JACKSONVILLE, N.C. - More than 372,000 working age veterans live in North Carolina, and after dedicating a part of their lives to the military, many of them have trouble finding employment, according to a new public-private endeavor in the state.

North Carolina for Military Employment, or NC-4-ME, aims to educate employers on the benefits of hiring veterans. Kimberly Lindsay, executive director of the initiative, said it's important that North Carolina businesses understand that veterans are a skilled workforce that is ready to contribute skills to a company.

"We can get our veteran ready, as ready as we can," she said, "but unless the employers understand the value that a veteran can bring to their organization, it really doesn't help us."

According to the North Carolina Justice Center, at least 8 percent of all veterans in the state are unemployed. NC-4-ME is holding regular events around North Carolina for employers to understand what veterans can offer to their organizations. The state now is offering instate tuition to veterans and credit for time spent in the military.

Lindsay said recent job fairs her group held have resulted in a 50 percent interview-to-offer ratio.

"What we're hearing from those employers is, 'You're definitely matching the knowledge and skills and abilities I'm looking for,' " she said, "and they are making offers right there on the spot. "

Lindsay said the goal of NC-4-ME is to make North Carolina best in the nation for military employment. She said the program also has the potential to increase statewide economic growth, reduce hiring costs and raise retention rates for employers.

More information is online at nc4me.org.


get more stories like this via email

Some 140 workers at an Amazon distribution center in Papillion have still not been paid for two weeks of work done in August.

Dan Riskowski, organizer for the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, said workers are owed approximately half a million dollars in wages and benefits. He recounted after one week's paychecks were held up, a superintendent assured workers they would be paid the following week and urged them to keep working.

"So they did, and they worked another week," Riskowski explained. "The superintendent came up to them with no explanation, no reason behind it, and said 'IMI is out of money. Sorry, but last week and this week we cannot pay you,' and walked off."

IMI Material Handling Logistics was contracted by Honeywell Intelligrated for work at the Amazon distribution center originally set to open this year. Soon after IMI left, another subcontractor, RPM Installation LLC, continued the project of installing conveyors, using different workers.

Riskowski noted Amazon and its subcontractors have been silent after the union requested workers be paid. Neither Amazon nor its subcontractors have responded to a request for comment.

Many workers traveled to Nebraska for jobs promised to last up to eight months. Riskowski pointed to one couple who left their kids with grandparents on a promise to return to visit once a week. But because they have not been paid, they became stranded after running into some car problems.

"So they're working on getting their car fixed, well in this time of getting their car fixed is when they lost their job," Riskowski emphasized. "They can't pay for the repairs, they can't get their car, they can't get home to see their kids. It's just a nightmare."

Meanwhile, completion of the distribution center project has been delayed. City officials say Amazon cited "supply chain issues," but other reports suggest the giant retailer is scaling back.

The union has filed 32 liens with the Sarpy County Register of Deeds, which should hold up any future sale of the property until workers are made whole. But Riskowski added he is hopeful Amazon will do what's right, as the project's general contractor with deep pockets, and pay workers what they are owed.

"Amazon really just simply can't turn a blind eye to this situation," Riskowski asserted. "And to allow a new subcontractor basically to come in and pick up where IMI left off, that is unacceptable. They need answers and they need their payment."

A renewed lifeline for small business owners still struggling after the pandemic - as the California Rebuilding Fund has announced it is making an additional $15 million available to fund fixed-rate low-interest loans.

The fund had almost run dry after making $80 million in loans over the past 2 years. Tony Beaman, president of Oakland-based Hacking Solutions, said the program provided his company much-needed capital in the first round.

"It was completely a lifeblood for our company," said Beaman. "We've grown significantly, we've been able to hire. We brought on several new clients. It set us up to really springboard our growth going forward."

To qualify, a company must be based in the Golden State, have fewer than 50 full-time employees, and be in business for more than a year. So far, the program has helped more than 1,300 small businesses.

To apply, go to caloanfund.org.

Luz Urrutia is CEO of Accion Opportunity Fund - a community development financial institution. She said the fund is expecting a stampede of applications, so business owners need to act fast.

"The small businesses that we're talking about generally don't get access to capital from the mainstream financial system," said Urrutia. "And so they're faced with having to access very high-cost loans. And this program is specifically focused on helping California businesses rebuild after COVID."

The $15 million to revitalize the California Rebuilding Fund came from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, JPMorgan Chase, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

California is going to need tens of thousands of workers over the next six years as we continue to build the broadband network to bring high-speed internet to underserved areas.

Now, the feds have awarded $5.8 million to the Communications Workers of America to supercharge its workforce training program.

Frank Arce, vice president of Communications Workers of America District 9, which encompasses California, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam, said the union is partnering with the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District in the Bay Area to expand its apprenticeship program.

"We're planning on focusing on underserved communities," Arce explained. "Really making sure it's a locally based workforce, people of color, women, veterans, and young people."

The plan is to open three more paid apprenticeship training programs over the next few years in the Fresno, Chico and Los Angeles areas. The state is set to allocate more than $5 billion to extend high speed internet in rural areas, and the Infrastructure Act will send hundreds of millions in federal funds to bolster the effort.

Arce pointed out the grant also will allow the union to partner with employers to bolster working families.

"It's a great opportunity for people to get some skills and set themselves into a solid middle-class job," Arce asserted. "We're taking advantage of this opportunity that we're building our infrastructure in the country to see if we can get some Californians out to work."

Arce noted in the past, unscrupulous subcontractors working for telecom companies have cut corners and treated workers poorly. But he added the publicly-funded program will raise the standards to require high-quality materials, workmanship and employee benefits.


get more stories like this via email