State Labor Commissioner Peter M. Rivera today announced a new Experience Counts Initiative that helps veterans transfer military service into certification for civilian jobs and enlists staff at New York State Career Centers to help place veterans in these jobs.

“As we see our service men and women returning, we must ensure the highest level of services greet them at home.  And that begins with jobs,” said Commissioner Rivera.  “I am proud to announce another Experience Counts program and urge all veterans to visit their nearest New York State Career Center to see what opportunities are available in their region.”

In 2011, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the Experience Counts initiative, which directs certain state agencies who qualify and license professions, to grant credit toward those credentials for military experience. Occupations include: bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks, certified nursing assistants, computer support specialists and security guards.

The Department of Labor has 91 Career Centers all of which can help veterans and many of which have veteran’s specialists on site.

The first Experience Counts program involved access to Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) when the Department of Motor Vehicles waived the road test and all associated fees for military members with recent experience driving trucks and heavy equipment in service. More than 250 CDLs have been issued to veterans through this program, with 112 being hired as of January 2013.

The newest component of Experience Counts certifies veterans to become a licensed armed security guard through an on-site training program.

The program is available free of charge and is available at all of the Department of Labor’s New York State Career Centers. Once veterans are trained and licensed, Career Center staff will connect them to one of the more than 8,300 available security jobs statewide.

If we didn’t have the training, they would have to go to a school for a fee and/or be trained by the employer (at a cost).

The training is a partnership with the New York State Departments of State and Division of Criminal Justice Services, which ensured it was adequate for certification.  The Department of Labor offers the certification for free, waiving fees normally charged by independent providers.

Michael C. Green, Executive Deputy Commissioner of the State Division of Criminal Justice Services, said: “Part of the mission of DCJS is to approve security guard training schools and oversee the curriculum used in that training. We are proud to be part of this program, which paves the way to enhanced employment opportunities for veterans by recognizing that their military service has already provided them with some of the skills and experience necessary to transition into a civilian career as a security guard. ”

In addition to the CDL and Security Guard measures, the Governor has ordered the Labor Department to work with the Department of Health to aid in the transfer of armed service experience into civilian credits or certifications for medics.

Department of Labor staff work directly with the military to get the word out to troops who may be interested in being certified for one of these jobs.  Through the new NYESS (New York State Employment Services System), Career Center staff will be able to thoroughly mange each veteran’s case.  The training consists of a computer video that must be completed and a test to be administered by staff and graded.

Of the currently 8,327 security guard jobs available statewide, staff at New York State Career Centers will help place veterans in the following openings in the following regions:

• Capital Region: 365
• Central NY: 194
• Finger Lakes: 265
• Long Island: 440
• Mid-Hudson: 1,649
• Mohawk Valley: 167
• New York City: 4,085
• North Country: 68
• Southern Tier: 272
• Western NY: 822

Veterans are also invited to attend special “Be A Hero-Hire A Hero” Job Fairs in the coming months:

• August 14 – Farmingdale, NY
• September 10 – Peekskill, NY
• October 16 – Latham, NY

For more information on the job fairs, please visit: www.beahero-hireahero.com.

If you’d like more information about any of these programs, please visit the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Services website at http://www.labor.ny.gov/vets/vetintropage.shtm or contact your Local Veterans’ Employment Representative at VetsAsk@labor.ny.gov.