JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Veterans who have recently returned home are getting the attention of Walmart as store officials plan to hire 100,000 veterans over the next five years.
The hiring pledge covers honorably discharged veterans within a year of leaving active duty.
Most of the jobs will be in Walmart stores or Sam's Club locations and some in distribution centers.
"I had a guy just the other day come in," Veterans of Foreign Wars service officer Ron Cherry said. "Had no idea, unemployed, had rent due, he was just looking for something."
Cherry works with veterans every day, helping them transition to civilian life.
"100,000," Cherry said. "That's a big number."
The VFW job board only has so many openings.
Cherry said any news is good when finding veterans work. He added that employment is the number one thing recent honorably discharged men and women ask him about.
"If a soldier can transition into a job, even if it's not the job he really wants, it makes it a lot easier," Cherry said.
Walmart is calling this the welcome home commitment.
Veterans discharged in the last year will have priority to open jobs throughout the country, primarily for in-store positions.
It all starts on Memorial Day, and Cherry hopes this announcement will encourage other employers to follow suit.
"We're on board with any organization that wants to reach out to veterans," Cherry said.
Post-9/11 veteran unemployment is at about 10 percent, a number Cherry says is way too high, considering the skill set many vets can bring to the work force.
"If we can get organizations to look deeper into that skill set to identify those skills, I think it would be a lot easier for veterans to make that transition," Cherry said.
Walmart expects to hire about 20,000 veterans a year for the next five years.
The company said it has spoken to the White House about the initiative and that First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed interest in working with it.Veterans who have recently returned home are getting the attention of Walmart as store officials plan to hire 100,000 veterans over the next five years.
The hiring pledge covers honorably discharged veterans within a year of leaving active duty.
Most of the jobs will be in Walmart stores or Sam's Club locations and some in distribution centers.
"I had a guy just the other day come in," Veterans of Foreign Wars service officer Ron Cherry said. "Had no idea, unemployed, had rent due, he was just looking for something."
Cherry works with veterans every day, helping them transition to civilian life.
"100,000," Cherry said. "That's a big number."
The VFW job board only has so many openings.
Cherry said any news is good when finding veterans work. He added that employment is the number one thing recent honorably discharged men and women ask him about.
"If a soldier can transition into a job, even if it's not the job he really wants, it makes it a lot easier," Cherry said.
Walmart is calling this the welcome home commitment.
Veterans discharged in the last year will have priority to open jobs throughout the country, primarily for in-store positions.
It all starts on Memorial Day, and Cherry hopes this announcement will encourage other employers to follow suit.
"We're on board with any organization that wants to reach out to veterans," Cherry said.
Post-9/11 veteran unemployment is at about 10 percent, a number Cherry says is way too high, considering the skill set many vets can bring to the work force.
"If we can get organizations to look deeper into that skill set to identify those skills, I think it would be a lot easier for veterans to make that transition," Cherry said.
Walmart expects to hire about 20,000 veterans a year for the next five years.
The company said it has spoken to the White House about the initiative and that First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed interest in working with it.