NEW YORK—A new Workforce1 Veterans Career Center on Madison Avenue in Manhattan is “the only center in the nation of this kind,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the center’s opening Tuesday.
The city has 15 other Workforce1 Career Centers located throughout the five boroughs, which serve the general population. Last year, these centers helped more than 800 veterans get jobs. This new branch only serves veterans, with a fellow veteran as the manager. The center is expected to get 1,250 veterans into employment this year—nearly 50 percent more than last year’s figure.
The center will translate military experience into skill sets required for regular jobs in society.
“If you can drive a convoy to find [improvised explosive devices], you can drive a bus; if you can fix an F-16 [fighter jet], you can fix someone’s fleet,” Speaker Christine C. Quinn said.
There are currently 8,600 unemployed veterans in New York City, according to city data.
The average national unemployment rate is currently 8.2 percent, while the unemployment rate among veterans is 12.2 percent.
