Finding
a job in a struggling economy can be challenging for individuals in various
industries. Add in a return from military service and little or no transferable
career skills and the challenge can be insurmountable.
SCORE
Bucks County mentor Norm Phillips recalled how a client he is mentoring with
the local chapter of the national nonprofit organization applied to more than
100 positions and “did not get a single response.”
Phillips’
client is not alone. Research shows that two-thirds of veterans deem finding
suitable employment as the greatest challenge in transitioning to post-military
life.
“Their
unemployment and underemployment rates are generally double the population or
more,” Phillips said. “I wanted to dig in and understand that more.”
While veterans
struggle with finding gainful employment, they soar as small business owners,
Phillips discovered. According to research, 80 percent of the 1.7 million
veteran-owned business owners consider themselves successful.
Since
joining SCORE eight months ago, Phillips has made it his mission to develop a
Veterans Small Business Resource Guide which will serve as the guiding pathway for
mentoring sessions with veterans.
“This is
a group that is most deserving,” Phillips, of Buckingham, said of veterans. “They
have made significant personal sacrifices for us, and they deserve better.”
Included
in his still-evolving resource guide are SCORE webinars and courses designed
specifically for veterans. His research also led him to uncover grants and
loans earmarked for veterans, along with veteran certification available
through the federal government. About one-third of the guide is applicable for
veterans only.
While
starting a business presents its own challenges, “the barrier to entry is
different,” Phillips said, referring to veterans seeking jobs as an employee.
Phillips,
who worked for 47 years in pharmaceutical marketing, including 18 years with Johnson
& Johnson before retiring, is currently mentoring five veterans. Now that
the resource guide is ready for use, he will be sharing his insights with many
more. In addition, a half dozen SCORE Bucks County mentors are veterans
interested in supporting this cause.
Phillips is in discussion with veterans organizations, as
well as area community colleges and universities, in an effort to offer SCORE’s
mentoring services to former military members.
The
chapter’s pilot program is also “on the radar” for SCORE chapters regionally
and nationally.
“If we
find that it’s successful, we could share this with other chapters in our
region,” Phillips said.
If you
would like to learn more, please contact norm.phillips@scorevolunteer.org. To request a mentor please
visit https://www.score.org/find-mentor.
About SCORE
Since
1964, SCORE has helped more than 11 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year,
SCORE provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than
375,000 new and growing small businesses.?With more than 70 members across
Bucks and Eastern Montgomery counties, SCORE Bucks?County?provides over
4,300 free mentoring services annually to local small
business owners through one-on-one counseling and small business
seminars. To stay up to date on news and happenings, join SCORE Bucks
County’s email list. Text SCOREBUCKS to 22828.
