WMVC Speaker Series – Unlocking Veteran Workforce Potential

WMVC is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to helping veterans and their families, in the areas of Education, Employment, Healthcare, and Quality of Life. We are kicking off a speaker series aimed at addressing a variety of issues veterans face in West Michigan.

On June 5th, we’re hosting our inaugural event called “Unlocking the Potential of Your Veteran Workforce”. Many veterans struggle to find a career that “fits” their unique skills and experience in the civilian world. Employers often aren’t sure how to best utilize those skills nor do they understand how to translate military jargon into civilian lingo.

Our June 5th event, hosted on the downtown campus of GVSU, will include a three-part program focused on employment issues related to veteran recruitment, employee retention, and career management. The first session features an interactive lecturer focused on the basics of military structure, organization, and culture. The second session, a moderated panel discussion, brings together a broad spectrum of veterans from junior enlisted and military officers to retired senior military leaders to showcase their journeys transitioning off active duty and into the corporate workforce. We’ll also have a reservist weigh in on how they balance their careers with their service responsibilities. During the final session of the day, our keynote speaker, Mike Tate from Gentex Corporation will discuss how they are engaging their veteran employees and share best practices on building a veteran-focused Employee Resource Group.

Breakfast will be provided by GVSU Catering with coffee bar networking time between sessions.