Veteran Internship Program proposal passes unanimously

Oakland County Commissioners Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) and Dave Woodward (D-Royal Oak) successfully proposed the creation of a Veteran Internship Program (VIP) for Oakland County to help returning veterans find work and make a better transition into civilian life. The proposal garnered bipartisan support and passed last Thursday at the Board's meeting 25-0 in favor of the resolution. The next phase will be for the Human Resources Department to report back to the Public Services Committee on the status of their findings to implement the Veteran Internship Program (VIP) which conforms to Federal and State laws and the Oakland County Merit System's Miscellaneous Resolution #08119 by the end of the calendar year. "Returning veterans have skills and training that can be transferred to new jobs," said Commissioner Runestad. "With the right type of support, mentorship, and opportunity, this program can help veterans transition from military to civilian employment through a supportive work training experience. The goal of the Veteran Internship Program will be to: * Assist veterans with the transition to the civilian workforce. * Build veteran's skills and confidence. * Provide the opportunity to develop on the job experience and training for a wide variety of careers in county government and in the civilian workforce. * Support Oakland County departments and agencies in developing an understanding of the skills and abilities that returning veterans offer to the government work force. * Honor the service of veterans. "Oakland County can be a leader in reducing unemployment among veterans," said Woodward. "We have a real opportunity to develop a meaningful program that serves veterans in an appropriate way for the service they gave to our country." Numerous communities and government agencies have developed and implemented similar programs with great success, including King County, Washington; Los Angeles County, California; Virginia Department of Transportation. Commissioners will be gathering information and best practices around the country to design a program proven to work. The county resolution Runestad and Woodward introduced called on the county administration and departments to work with the county commission, to develop a plan and to provide information about the projected costs. Within 45 days of the adoption of the resolution which will be reported by the end of the calendar year and presented back to the Oakland County Board of Commissioners for further consideration. At the Thursday, Nov. 1, meeting, the resolution was passed unanimously by the County Board's Public Services Committee, and the full Oakland County Board of Commissioners' at the Board's meeting. Published: Mon, Nov 5, 2012

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