Introduction
If you’re transitioning out of the military, a vet looking to add new civilian skills or a milspouse ready to start a new career—these are three military charities that you need to know about to access top jobs in 2022.
1. Tech for Heroes
DraftKings established Tech for Heroes as a corporate social responsibility initiative in 2018 and invested more than $1 million to provide free training to hundreds of veterans through 12 classes hosted in six cities. In 2020, the program expanded to support veterans and milspouses with live instructors in a virtual classroom available nationwide. “We knew that our Tech for Heroes program had to adapt and meet veterans where they were. By taking the training online, and by introducing a new mentoring program, we are now able to connect with more veterans across the country and expand the impact of our Tech for Heroes program, something I am very proud to do,” said Paul Liberman, DraftKings co-founder and president, global technology and product in a press release.
To bring the program to light, DraftKings teamed up with VetsinTech and American Corporate Partners. The VetsinTech partnership helps match students with four-week courses taught by certified instructors. Upon completion, students receive a credential in proficiency. “Through this new format, they are able to take advantage of this ’at-home time’ which will help them land great jobs or learn new skills as we face this national crisis together and come back stronger than ever,” said Katherine Webster, founder of VetsInTech.
Through American Corporate Partners, DraftKing employees have the opportunity to serve as year-long mentors, helping to prepare veterans for careers in the private sector. “We look forward to introducing DraftKings mentors to our veterans as we all, together, help them achieve their professional goals,” said Colleen Deere, Executive Director of American Corporate Partners.
If you are interested in joining an upcoming training, please email [email protected] or visit the website here.
2. VetsinTech
This nonprofit founded in 2012 helps veterans interested in jobs through opportunities to embed in the tech community through education, employment and entrepreneurship.
Learn about web development, Salesforce admin and cybersecurity; meet a network of investors; or forget about boring career fairs and checkout a ViT hackathon instead. Check ViT events for upcoming opportunities to get involved.
VetsinTech added a new mentorship program to its offerings in 2020. Vets will benefit from one-on-one access to top technology mentors and expert guidance from companies like Microsoft, Google and Cloudera.
For more information, visit their website here.
3. American Corporate Partners
Get to know ACP because this successful mentorship program has connected with nearly 20,000 veterans to date, and thousands have gone on to earn an average salary of nearly $82,000.
This free program pairs veterans and military spouses with corporate pros for personalized mentorships. Mentors and proteges can engage in up to 12 virtual one-on-one sessions focusing on career development, networking and more throughout the mentorship year.
ACP’s Advisor Net is an online networking resource to post questions and find new opportunities. Users connect on discussion boards or private messages and find members by location for in-person possibilities.
ACP is actively recruiting! Find the veteran’s application and mentorship timeline here.
Conclusion
Engaging with military charities serving vets and milspouses in civilian sectors can help leverage your existing skills and cultivate new ones as you transition out of the service. Veterans and military spouses interested in DraftKings’ Tech for Heroes program, can learn more on their website here.