NS2 Serves Sponsors ‘Call to Action’ Forum to Back Veteran Employment

A nonprofit organization established by SAP NS2, the U.S. national security-focused subsidiary of SAP, sponsored a reception on Capitol Hill Nov. 18 to center around the theme of “Improving the Well-Being, Employment Status and Opportunities Available to Post-9/11 Veterans and Their Families.”

NS2 Serves helped facilitate the event in an effort to further advocate for programs to bring veterans into the civilian workforce, an initiative the organization pushed earlier this year as it kicked off a 3-month training program for veterans that seek to acquire technology-related skills in order to get civilian jobs.

That training program ended Friday and 20 of the graduates — from a pool of participants that included U.S. military service veterans and reservists, disabled veterans and Gold Star spouses — attended the reception and were recognized..

“Targeting those without degrees – with the biggest hiring challenges – sharply focuses to get them in careers that provide a financial capacity that affords them an opportunity finish a degree or jumpstart a new career,” Mark Testoni, president and CEO of SAP NS2 told ExecutiveBiz after the reception, where he gave opening remarks.

In his dual role as NS2 chief and a leader of NS2 Serves, Testoni also calls on other companies to start programs for veterans in transition to civilian life that want to join the workforce.

“Veterans often have maturity and skills beyond their years, but for some reason finding work post their military careers is difficult for many.”

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Boeing, Iraq-Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, VetNet and Working Wardrobes helped NS2 co-host the Capitol Hill forum with more than 150 attendees that included lawmakers, Capitol Hill staffers, NS2 Serves veteran-trainees and representatives of partner organizations.

“We have the duty, the obligation to support our veterans who have given so much,” said House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger (D-Md.).

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) also spoke at the event to echo the themes expressed by previous speakers.

Joe Kernan and Cherreka Montgomery, both vice presidents at SAP NS2, discussed the common skill sets and approaches they believe veterans can offer to businesses.

Other speakers included Jerri Rosen of Working Wardrobes, Harry Humphries of VetNet, Joe Maguire of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and Alex Nicholson of IAVA.

Peter Berg, the notable film director of Lone Survivor and Friday Night Lights, offered a pre-recorded video statement that contained his interviews with veterans about their own stories of transitions to civilian life.