A Commitment to Hiring Veterans and their Spouses
RSVP board member, Claudia Timbo is leading the charge to employ veterans and their spouses in Montgomery County. As CEO at CompanyVoice, a local contact center, Claudia considers it a privilege to support the armed services and guides her organization to pay close attention to the employment applications coming in to specifically value the skills veterans gain from their service. CompanyVoice also looks for opportunities to hire spouses of veterans in recognition of the sacrifices made by military families.
Claudia is pleased with RSVP’s expanded mission to offer resources and assistance to help veterans assimilate and readjust. She was instrumental in the early stages of the veteran initiatives. Claudia’s insight and network enabled RSVP to expand and grow the program rapidly. RSVP’s new veteran’s higher education program will expand services offered to veterans through partnerships with veterans groups, corporations, non-profits and local legislative offices. Program components include the following:
- Creating a resume based on experience gained in the armed forces since many of the skills learned on the battlefield, such as leadership, organizational and work ethic can translate into job skills.
- Helping veterans develop and polish their job interview skills; including tips on preparation, dress, and how to handle an interview that may have multiple interviewers.
- Creating a mentoring program for veterans; the mentors are veterans themselves and understand the challenges of transitioning back to civilian life. They also act as advocates as veterans are seeking jobs.
- Developing a resource directory linking veterans to local opportunities which may include job training in the trades, resources, assistance and support networks and more.
Since Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the nation for the largest veteran population with many of the veterans entering the workforce, Claudia supports the job creation for veterans both in her volunteer efforts and her business. The culture at CompanyVoice welcomes veterans and their spouses and is helping to reduce the unemployment rate among veterans in the state of PA.