Veteran & Military Spouse Hiring Initiatives Within the Maryland Chamber Membership

The state of Maryland is proud to support the military community in a number of ways, from special tax benefits to education and tuition assistance.  

One way that the Maryland Chamber of Commerce is pleased to highlight the support of the military community is the veteran and military spouse hiring initiatives that so many members of the Chamber have developed over the years.  

With Veteran’s Day this week, and November recognized as Military Family Appreciation Month, we couldn’t think of a better time to highlight examples of companies who have created hiring initiatives to benefit the military community and, in turn, benefit their companies.  

BGE

BGE utilizes the website Troops to Energy, a site that takes jobs that a veteran did in the military and translates them directly to what positions would best suit the candidate in the energy field. The hard work of the BGE human resource department hasn’t gone unnoticed. The G.I. Jobs magazine recognized BGE as being a G.I. Jobs Military Friendly Employer Gold Recipient from 2008 to 2018. However, it’s through the veterans they employ, that they gain the reward BGE values most— work ethic and discipline provided through the military culture. 

Comcast

Their tradition of hiring and supporting the military community began with founder, World War II U.S. Navy veteran Ralph Roberts, and has continued to today. Whether you’re a member of the military community beginning your civilian career, a veteran entrepreneur accelerating your business, a military spouse, or an organization working on behalf of local military initiatives, we hope you’ll join us in supporting those who have dedicated their lives to service. 

KCI Technologies

KCI provides training and mentorship to help ensure a successful transition from military service to a career at KCI. Our culture of active front-line leadership helps all military service members succeed in a variety of positions. KCI maintains a relationship with Orion International, the nation’s leading provider of best-in-class military talent programs, which allows organizations to attract, hire, develop, and retain top quality military talent. 

Leidos

Leidos has a strong affinity with the military, both in their lines of business and in the workforce, and are proud that 20 percent of their workforce are military veterans. They assist veterans through the often difficult transition from military life to a career in the private sector.  Since the beginning of 2016, Leidos has hired 8,600 veterans and military spouses. Leidos is committed to supporting veterans and military spouses as they pursue challenging and rewarding careers within their many business areas. Their dedicated military veteran outreach program is called Operation MVP (Military Veteran Program). Through this program, Leidos teams with military transition centers, military associations, and veteran organizations in an effort to identify and hire separating and retiring military veterans. The Operation MVP team participates in specific career development and networking events geared towards the veteran and military dependent/caregiver population and stays actively engaged with military transition offices, Department of Labor representatives, as well as veteran non-profit and membership organizations. Leidos further help wounded warriors by providing career workshops, offering help with résumé building and interview preparation, and conducting job fairs and interview events. 

Lockheed Martin

At Lockheed Martin, veterans are at the center of everything they do — in fact, one in five of our employees has served in uniform. They are proud to help men and women successfully transition into civilian careers. Join Lockheed and you will find opportunities to take on the same kind of long-term challenging assignments you tackled while in the military. Lockheed also partners with Hiring Our Heroes in support of the Corporate Fellowship Program that supports veterans in connecting them to meaningful careers.  

Pepco

“One of the long–standing commitments within the Exelon family is hiring veterans,” said David Vosvick, vice president of human resources at Pepco Holdings. He is also a military family member as one of his sons is a recent graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.  A few years ago, Pepco signed an unofficial agreement that “10 percent of our hires are going to be military hires,” according to Vosvick. “And we have lived up to that and exceeded that,” he said. “Just last year, 12 percent of Exelon hires came from the military.” 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) initiative launched in March 2011 as a nationwide effort to connect veterans, service members, and military spouses with meaningful employment opportunities. Working with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vast network of state and local chambers and strategic partners from the public, private, and non-profit sectors, our goal is to create a movement across America in hundreds of communities where veterans and military families return every day. 

To connect with Hiring Our Heroes either to find a job or connect to potential employees, head here