November 10, 2017
As America’s men and women of service begin the journey of shifting to civilian life, Toyota’s heartfelt support for these brave heroes continues. Five years ago, Toyota partnered with Hiring Our Heroes with the aim of helping veterans enter the workforce after their military service – sometimes for the very first time.
The extensive training military veterans receive translates into a dedicated and highly-skilled workforce. Their capacity to handle unimaginable stress is a given. Military spouses, too, bring unparalleled resiliency and adaptability as they move from one station to another. Yet, despite their proven competencies, many veterans who entered the armed services directly after high school have limited job-hunting skills and experience, such as writing a resume or applying for a job.
Toyota, in its partnership with Hiring Our Heroes, developed a “Personal Branding” initiative that is free to use for both veterans and military spouses. It includes an innovative resume-building engine that translates military skills into language that potential employers can understand. Among the most notable advocates and supporters of this initiative is Marine Corps veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Dakota Meyer.
As of May 2017, Hiring Our Heroes has hosted more than 1,000 job fairs, postings and mentoring opportunities, resulting in the hiring of 28,000 veterans and military spouses. Companies large and small – including over 500 Toyota dealers – have committed to hiring over 700,000 veterans and military spouses through their partnership with Hiring Our Heroes.
One example of Toyota’s corporate commitment to hiring veterans and military spouses is at the company’s San Antonio, Texas manufacturing plant. This facility manufactures over 261,000 Tundra and Tacoma trucks annually. With such high output, the complex machines used to produce so many trucks require constant maintenance, and skilled hands are instrumental in helping to maintain operations. In fact, 25% of this manufacturing plant’s skilled maintenance team is comprised of veterans.
For Toyota, hiring veterans and military spouses isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing.
