A worthy effort to connect NC veterans with restaurant jobs

Returning service members are twice as likely as other Americans to become chronically homeless, and although the veteran unemployment rate has gone down in recent years, it is still much higher than the national average. We need to make sure that veterans have access to jobs where they can use their military training and develop additional skills to help them advance their careers.

I am proud to work in an industry that offers opportunities for service members entering the civilian workforce. Restaurants employ over 250,000 veterans, working every day to create opportunities and advancement for men and women like me who are returning to civilian life. Since leaving the Navy, I’ve applied the lessons I learned in the service toward running and expanding my business into a network of 12 Dunkin Donuts locations across central North Carolina.

This Memorial Day, I was honored to take part in announcing the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association’s partnership with the N.C. Department of Commerce to connect more veterans with job opportunities in the hospitality field. Using the Department of Commerce’s NC Works program, veterans can go online or visit an NC Works location and be the first to know about open positions with North Carolina restaurants, hotels and food service organizations. In return, North Carolina’s hospitality industry is gaining access to a labor pool of dedicated service men and women who have proven they can work as a team and find resourceful ways to get the job done.

America’s veterans know how important it is to have each other’s backs, and so do we in the restaurant industry. For those who have never worked in the industry, there are training programs like ServSafe and ManageFirst that cover essential knowledge areas from safe food handling to management training. The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation has partnered with our military branches, providing career training and counseling, and supporting military hospitality programs through an awards program.

The industry has had my back as I’ve worked from frying donuts to running 12 restaurants. Restaurants provide veterans and other employees the experience and skills they need to succeed throughout their careers – whether or not they choose to continue on an upward path in the hospitality industry. Nine of 10 restaurant employees in chef and management positions began in an entry-level position, as did 8 of 10 restaurant owners.

I like to think of myself as a pretty hard worker, but I know I couldn’t run my business on my own. I need talented, hard-working employees with the skills to make an impact and an eagerness to learn. I look for employees who have internalized the same lessons of discipline, teamwork and leadership that I learned during my career in the military. I take great pride in being a part of an organization that sees the same potential I see in my fellow veterans. The continuing efforts of the N.C. Department of Commerce and the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association reflect a true commitment for giving back to the men and women who have given and risked so much for their country.

Twenty-four years in the Navy taught me a lot of essential lessons: the importance of discipline, the value of teamwork and the impact of leadership. But there’s one lesson that the military and the restaurant industry have taught me in equal measure: You become who you are through the service you provide.

This story was originally published June 23, 2016 at 5:15 PM with the headline "A worthy effort to connect NC veterans with restaurant jobs."