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ROB MCCLENDON: MAJOR GENERAL RITA ARAGON, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR BEING HERE.
RITA ARAGON: IT'S A REAL PLEASURE TO BE BACK, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ROB: NOW I HAVE THE LATEST DEPARTMENT OF LABOR STATISTICS OF AFGHANISTAN
ERA, OR IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN ERA VETERANS, AND IT SAYS THERE IS AN
ESTIMATED 220,000 AND THIS IS NATIONAL, PEOPLE THAT ARE WITHOUT WORK AND THEN
THAT WAS THIS YEAR.
AND THAT'S AN INCREASE FROM 185,000 LAST YEAR.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION, WHAT DO THOSE NUMBERS TELL YOU?
ARAGON: WELL IT TELLS US A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS THAT WE'VE ALWAYS KNOWN THAT VETERANS WERE UNEMPLOYED AT A RATE OF
ABOUT THREE-TO-ONE TO NON VETERANS.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY COME BACK AND THEY, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT
KEEP THEM FROM RUSHING RIGHT OUT AND GETTING A JOB.
THERE ARE ALSO THINGS THAT HAPPEN TO THEM THAT MAKE THEM NOT AS EASILY
EMPLOYABLE AS THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN BEFORE THEY GOT INJURED OR HURT OR HAD A
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY OR SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
IT ALSO TELLS ME THAT WE ARE DOWNSIZING THE MILITARY A GREAT DEAL AND
TO BE TRUTHFUL, FROM WHAT I'M HEARING PEOPLE, THE MILITARY IS LOOKING FOR
ANYTHING TO BE ABLE TO PUT YOU OUT.
SO IF YOU ARE DYSFUNCTIONAL IN ANY KIND OF AREA, IF YOU CAN'T DO
THE JOB THAT YOU USED TO DO, THEY ARE HELPING YOU FIND YOUR WAY HOME.
AND THEN WHEN THEY GET HOME THEN THEY'VE GOT TO SAY OKAY NOW WHAT DO I,
HOW DO I MAKE A LIVING NOW?
ROB: LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THOSE INJURED VETERANS AND I KNOW I
DON'T WANT TO PORTRAY THAT ALL VETERANS THAT COME BACK ARE INJURED, BUT
THOSE THAT ARE, THEY PARTICULARLY HAVE A TOUGH TIME.
ARAGON: EXTREMELY SO, BECAUSE IT, THERE'S A REAL BIG GAP BETWEEN GETTING
OUT OF THE ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY AND GETTING IN SERVICES IN THE VA,
SOMETIMES AS MUCH AS A YEAR TO 18 MONTHS OKAY IF I CAN'T GET MY BENEFITS
FROM THE VA AND I NO LONGER AM DRAWING A CHECK, I'VE GOT TO FIND SOMEWAY
TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE AND HOPEFULLY TO GET SOME MEDICAL CARE.
AND SO WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS YOU HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT
MENTALLY READY TO STEP INTO THAT WORLD TO GET A JOB.
YOU HAVE OTHERS WHO ARE PHYSICALLY NOT ABLE TO STEP INTO THAT WORLD,
MEANING WE HAVE A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF SURVIVING AMPUTEES THAN WE HAVE EVER
HAD.
BUT THE TRUTH IS, IT'S REALLY INCUMBENT UPON STATES AND COMMUNITIES,
BOTH LOCAL AND A GLOBAL COMMUNITY TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THESE
FOLKS ARE GETTING SOME KIND OF CARE AND ARE FINDING A WAY TO MAKE A
LIVING.
GENERAL ERIC SHINSEKI WHO IS THE SECRETARY OF THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION IN
WASHINGTON, A FORMER ARMY FOUR-STAR WHO IS ABSOLUTELY A SOLDER'S
GENERAL WHO REALLY LOOKED AFTER HIS PEOPLE, HE IS NOW LOOKING AFTER
VETERANS, AND HE IS SAYING, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE LIVING UNDER
BRIDGES LIKE WE DID AFTER VIETNAM; WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T
FIND A PLACE TO STAY; WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THIS KIND OF RAMPANT
DISREGARD FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED OUR NATION SO GALLANTLY.
AND SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF NEW PROGRAMS AND I'M REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE
OKLAHOMA IS INSTITUTING SOME OF OUR OWN PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN LOCALLY
PLANNED AND DESIGNED, AND I THINK WE'RE DOING A LOT THAT MAYBE PEOPLE JUST
DON'T REALIZE WHAT ALL IS GOING ON.
ROB: SO GENERAL ARAGON, LET'S TALK ABOUT JOBS.
HOW ARE WE DOING HERE IN THE STATE?
ARAGON: WELL YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A HISTORIC LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BUT
STILL, THE RATE OF VETERANS TO NON VETERANS IS ABOUT THREE-TO-ONE.
IT IS NATIONALLY AS WELL.
AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
HELP FOLKS FIND JOBS WHEN THEY COME BACK.
THE STATE HAS A GREAT CONSORTIUM THAT I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF AND THAT'S
OK JOB MATCH DOT COM.
AND IT'S PULLED CAREERTECH AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, OR THE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE FOR THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA, THE OKLAHOMA EMPLOYMENT
SECURITY COMMISSION, THE OKLAHOMA EMPLOYER'S SUPPORT OF THE GUARD AND
RESERVE, AND MY DEPARTMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS,
POOLED TOGETHER TO DEVISE AND DESIGN THIS SYSTEM THAT WILL ALLOW VETERANS
TO COME IN AND GO TO OK JOB MATCH DOT COM AND TAKE EVERY JOB SKILL THAT
THEY'VE EVER HAD AND WE END UP DOING AN AWFUL LOT OF TRAINING IN THE
MILITARY ON LEADERSHIP, ON INTERPERSONAL SKILLS, ON JOB OPERATIONS, ON JOB
MANAGEMENT, HOW DO WE TEACH YOU KNOW YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN TO ORCHESTRATE
AND ORGANIZE OTHER PEOPLE AND GET THEM TO DO JOBS.
AND WE HAVE PROJECT MANAGERS AND THERE IS SUCH A DEMAND FOR PEOPLE WHO
HAVE THOSE ABILITIES AND SKILLS.
AND JOB MATCH DOT COM LITERALLY DOES THAT.
IT LET'S YOU SIT DOWN AND IT WILL ASK YOU QUESTIONS LIKE, HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE
YOU EVER BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR LEADING OR TRAINING OR MENTORING OR, YOU KNOW AND
THERE ARE ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT THEY CAN ENTER IN THAT WILL HELP THEM BE
ABLE TO FIND A JOB THAT HELPS THEM MEET THEIR POTENTIAL INSTEAD OF JUST
SAYING, YOU KNOW I WAS A RIFLEMAN, I CARRIED A RIFLE.
WELL YOU DID A LOT MORE THAN THAT, YOU WERE ABLE TO LEARN ABOUT SECURITY,
UNDERSTANDING AND GIVING ORDERS, ABOUT YOUR OWN PERSONAL ENVIRONMENT,
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, WHICH EMPLOYERS DESIRE
GREATLY TO BE ABLE TO PUT PEOPLE TO WORK IN ALL KINDS OF AREAS.
TRUCK DRIVERS, OBVIOUSLY WE TALK ABOUT THAT A LOT.
CHESAPEAKE ALONE HAD 800 VACANCIES WANTING HEAVY TRUCK DRIVERS.
AND YOU KNOW WHO, VIRTUALLY EVERY PERSON INTHE MILITARY LEARNS TO
DRIVE EQUIPMENT AND TRUCKS AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR,
PAYING SOME OF THEIR, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT CROSS COUNTRY, I'M TALKING
ABOUT LOCALS WHERE YOU COME HOME AT NIGHT 70,000 DOLLARS A YEAR.
NOT BAD SALARY FOR DRIVING A TRUCK THAT YOU DID ON THE BUSIEST AND SCARIEST
ROADS IN THE WORLD.
AND YOU COME HOME AND YOU GO LIKE, OKAY WE HAVE A LITTLE ROAD RAGE GOING ON
NOW AND THEN, BUT THE TRUTH IS, WE DO HAVE SAFE HIGHWAYS.
BUT IT'S, WE NEED PEOPLE WHO CAN MANAGE TO NEGOTIATE THOSE.
ROB: WHAT ABOUT THOSE RETURNING VETERANS THAT WOULD LIKE TO TRANSITION
INTO ANOTHER FIELD, HOW TO REBRAND THEMSELVES?
JOB MATCH HELPS THERE AS WELL.
ARAGON: ABSOLUTELY, IT TAKES, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO
CAREERTECH, LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT'S VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU'VE
DONE BUT THAT YOU THINK YOU CAN DO.
YOU CAN LOOK AT JOBS THAT ARE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU USED TO DO IN THE
MILITARY OR THAT YOU DID BEFORE YOU WENT INTO THE MILITARY, OR THEY MAY BE
JOBS THAT YOU WANT TO TRAIN TO DO.
AND THAT YOU GO IN AND YOU SAY I THINK I'M REALLY GOOD IN I-T, I'VE HAD SOME
EXPERIENCE WITH IT, AND I'M GOING TO GET ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND IF
YOU, BECAUSE SO MANY JOBS WANT TO TRAIN YOU ONCE YOU GET THERE YOU KNOW THEY
WANT SOMEONE WHO IS WILLING AND ABLE TO LEARN, READY TO TAKE SOME
DIRECTION AND MOVE ON IN, AND THEY SAY WE'LL TRAIN YOU WHEN WE GET YOU HERE
IF YOU HAVE THE BASIC SKILLS.
AND IN TODAY'S MILITARY, YOU'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO READ AND WRITE AND PASS
ENTRANCE EXAMS.
AND THEN WE TUTOR THEM ONCE THEY GET IN THERE.
WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WELL.
AND AS YOU KNOW IN YOUR CAREER FIELD, COMMUNICATION IS
ESSENTIAL, IT IS IN VIRTUALLY EVERY CAREER THAT WE HAVE.
WE'VE GO TO BE ABLE TO TELL PEOPLE DURING SOME PART OF OUR CAREER, OUR
JOB, OUR TIME, WHAT IS GOING ON, HOW EITHER TO FIX IT OR WHAT I NEED TO
FIX IT.
AND SO THOSE SKILLS BECOME VERY CRITICAL TO US.
ROB: AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS NO LACK OF GOOD INTENTIONS AT LEAST ON THE
CORPORATE SIDE OF PEOPLE WANTING TO HIRE VETERANS.
ARAGON: YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
GET CALLS EVERY DAY FROM THE CORPORATE WORLD, BOTH HUGE COMPANIES LIKE
CHESAPEAKE AND DEVON DOWN TO MOM AND POP BUSINESSES THAT SAY WE WANT TO HIRE
VETERANS, HOW DO WE DO THAT.
THAT'S THE GREAT THING THAT JOB MATCH DOES.
IT WILL HELP THEM GO OUT AND FIND VETERANS WHO WANT TO WORK.
RIGHT NOW OKLAHOMA IS ONE OF THE TOP FOUR ECONOMIES IN THE STATE, THE NATION,
AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE GOVERNOR FALLIN JUST TOLD THE CABINET THAT.
AND SHE SAYS WE WANT TO KEEP IT GOING, WE WANT TO KEEP MOVING ON THAT.
AND IT HAS BEEN A LOT OF THAT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS, HOW DO WE
KEEP PEOPLE NOT JUST EMPLOYED, BUT HOW DO WE HELP THEM TO GROW AND TO
BECOME MORE PROFICIENT AT WHAT THEY DO, AND TO EXPAND INTO AREAS THAT
THEY'VE NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO BEFORE.
SO IT'S A, JOB MATCH DOT COM WILL HELP US DO THAT FROM THE EMPLOYER SIDE,
FROM THE EMPLOYEE SIDE, AND CERTAINLY FROM THE VETERAN SIDE.
ROB: YEAH, AND CERTAINLY A GREAT PLACE FOR ANYONE TO START WHETHER YOU ARE A
VETERAN, YOU HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER AS A VETERAN, OR, IF YOU'RE JUST LOOKING FOR
A JOB AND YOU'RE A CIVILIAN AS WELL.
ARAGON: THAT'S RIGHT, AND IF YOU'RE AN EMPLOYER AND YOU WANT A PARTICULAR KIND
OF PERSON WITH PARTICULAR SKILLS, YOU WANT SOMEONE WHO IS VERY SELF
MOTIVATED, SELF DRIVEN, A PERSON WHO KNOWS HOW TO TAKE DIRECTION, A PERSON
WHO IS A GOOD TEAM LEADER, A PERSON WHO IS HONEST AND HAS INTEGRITY.
THOSE ARE THE KIND OF FOLKS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ON OK JOB MATCH DOT
COM.
ROB: ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH, GENERAL RITA ARAGON.
NOW WE DO HAVE MUCH MORE ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF HIRING VETERANS ON OUR
WEBSITE, JUST GO TO OK HORIZON DOT COM WHERE WE HAVE AN INTERVIEW WITH
GOVERNOR MARY FALLIN ON THE ROLE VETERANS WILL PLAY IN OKLAHOMA'S
ECONOMY.
PLUS WE'LL ALSO LOOK AT AN INTERESTING PROGRAM TO HELP DISABLED VETERANS
BECOME ENTREPRENUERS; ALL THAT AND MORE AT OK HORIZON DOT COM.