{"id":37165,"date":"2023-01-26T21:11:48","date_gmt":"2023-01-26T22:11:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/?p=37165"},"modified":"2023-01-26T22:36:53","modified_gmt":"2023-01-26T22:36:53","slug":"niit-helps-veterans-find-careers-in-high-tech-fields","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/2023\/01\/26\/niit-helps-veterans-find-careers-in-high-tech-fields\/","title":{"rendered":"NIIT helps veterans find careers in high-tech fields"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/MDL2XLYVN5AEDKZ74D7E5JG3O4.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">Mike Ziobro spent four years in the Marine Corps as a light armored vehicle mechanic, but initially struggled to find his role in the civilian world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">\u201cBecoming a civilian again can sometimes be tougher than it sounds,\u201d said Ziobro, who was an E-5 when he transitioned to civilian life in 2010. He held a handful of different jobs, including bartending and being a licensed boat captain, but it wasn\u2019t until he found the National Institute for Innovation and Technology\u2019s apprenticeship program that he found a career he loved.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">The program helps veterans find careers in the tech industry, including semiconductor and nanotechnology careers. In Ziobro\u2019s case, it helped him find his current role as a toolmaker at Indium Corporation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">\u201cIt hasn\u2019t been until recently that I feel I have truly found my dream job,\u201d said Ziobro.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">The NIIT is charged with making sure that strategic industry sectors, those important to our nation\u2019s security and global competitiveness, have what they need to thrive and lead in innovation, according to Mike Russo, president and CEO.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">\u201cThere is simply not enough talent to keep up with tech-based industries, so reaching populations who have not traditionally been engaged is key in broadening the pipeline,\u201d said Russo.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading__StyledHeading-sc-123v3ct-0 lgqYWo a-heading1\">Connecting with veterans<\/h2>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">Returning service members and veterans have many of the foundational skills that are needed to succeed in these industries; however they are often overlooked because more traditional approaches and systems used for hiring do not appropriately apply credit for their military experience, Russo said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">\u201cThrough our state-of-the-art National Talent Hub, we provide returning service members and veterans tools to align their skills with careers in the semiconductor industry. This not only helps address the workforce shortfall in these high-value industries, it also helps pay the debt of gratitude we owe those who served by acknowledging their service to our country and providing lucrative career opportunities that leverage past military experience,\u201d he said. Veterans can create a cost-free profile in<a href=\"https:\/\/www.niit-usa.org\/the-national-talent-hub-1\"> The National Talent Hub | NIIT (niit-usa.org)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">Dr. Pam Howze, director of national workforce strategies at NIIT, says that when she left the military a number of years ago, there were no programs to help her find gainful employment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">\u201cEven though there are currently a number of existing resources to assist transitioning service members with career development, it is often difficult for our veterans to navigate these tools and apply the skills they gained in the military to civilian careers,\u201d she said. NIIT offers a variety of tools for veterans to do just that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">\u201cFor instance, VetConnect is NIIT\u2019s program that helps returning service members, veterans and their families leverage their valuable experience while seeking careers in industry sectors important to our national security and global competitiveness. Through the NIIT National Talent Hub, veterans can align their skills with careers and identify any potential gaps,\u201d Howze said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading__StyledHeading-sc-123v3ct-0 lgqYWo a-heading1\">Build on training, soft skills<\/h2>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">Russo says that skills learned in the military that would help soldiers transition into the semiconductor and nanotechnology fields include advanced manufacturing skills in hydraulics, pneumatics, statistical process control, HVAC and chemical and materials handling. Soft skills like leadership, team building and problem solving are attributes desired by nanotechnology companies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">\u201cMy job now is a far cry from the combat and physical preparedness I received during my time as a Marine,\u201d said Ziobro. \u201cWhat has carried over, however, is professionalism, the ability to overcome challenges and adapt to any situation that might arise in the workplace, and the familiarity of working as one team toward a common goal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">The National Talent Hub provides an opportunity to explore careers across geographic sectors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">\u201cAs I navigated my career after serving in the military, I know a resource like the National Talent Hub would have been a huge benefit,\u201d Howze says. Veterans are accustomed to moving for their careers and oftentimes they are looking for opportunities to return to their home states.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">\u201cOur Veteran\u2019s Fellowship Program was designed for returning service members and is meant to take into account unique factors facing veterans as they return to civilian life. Participants become \u2018NIIT Fellows\u2019 rather than apprentices, and programs are designed to help veterans leverage the skills gained during military service,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">Providing career opportunities in strategic industries to veterans and returning service members is a key priority for NIIT, according to Russo. NIIT focuses on continually refining and tailoring its programs to help ensure they meet the needs of veterans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-sc-1tqpf5s-0 kEzXdV body-paragraph body-paragraph\">NIIT has done that for Ziobro. \u201cMy new career, along with the assistance of the apprenticeship program, has really sparked my desire again to be part of a team and better myself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mike Ziobro spent four years in the Marine Corps as a light armored vehicle mechanic,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37167,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37165"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37165"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37168,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37165\/revisions\/37168"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}