By Justin Sink
April 23, 2014, 01:25 pm
First lady Michelle Obama on Wednesday announced a new website designed to help military veterans, current service members and their spouses create resumes and connect with outside employers.
The website, called the Veterans Employment Center, hopes to centralize job and veterans resources from across the government. It will include a database of public and private employment opportunities, a resume-builder, and career and training resources.
"Our service members haven't always had the time or information they needed to prepare their resumes, to plot their career goals, to meet with employers and get the jobs they deserve. And that's simply not acceptable," the first lady said in a statement.
Obama said the website would "revolutionize" how service members were able to find jobs outside the military. According to The Associated Press, unemployment among post-9/11 veterans is 9 percent, well above the 6.7 percent nationwide unemployment rate.
"Our service members transitioning to civilian life, as well as their spouses, deserve the resources they need to be successful," said Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel in a statement. "Through this effort, they are getting that help. Our troops and their spouses are proven leaders, highly-skilled and hard-working. Employers hiring them are getting the best this nation has to offer."
The first lady and Vice President Biden's wife, Jill, will debut the website at the Fort Campbell Veterans Jobs Summit and Career Forum in Kentucky on Wednesday. The announcement marks the third anniversary of the pair's "Joining Forces" initiative, designed to assist service members and their families.
Biden will also announce that the Military Spouse Employment Partnership, launched in June 2011 with 60 partner companies, now features 228 employers that have pledged to hire military veterans.
Earlier this month, Biden visited "The Today Show" to promote efforts the administration was taking to help simplify applications to GI benefits at schools and job training programs. That website allows service members to estimate tuition, housing allowances, and stipends.
Biden said she and the first lady launched Joining Forces "to encourage all Americans to support and honor our military families."