Over the past two years, the number of veterans entering the civilian workforce has steadily increased.
As these men and women enter the civilian workforce, employees are taking advantage of the group’s advanced skills.
 Larry Flatten, an employee with Western Skyways and a veteran from the United States Navy since 2003, puts together a continental fuel injection system at Western Skyways Monday afternoon. Western Skyways was honored by the American Legion for its veteran employment. Thirty percent of the company's workforce is veterans. (Joel Blocker / Daily Press) Advertisement |
Western Skyways is one of those employers.
During the American Legion annual Washington Conference in March, Western Skyways was honored with American Legion National Economic Commission Award. The company was one of three Colorado businesses to receive the award based on its employment of veterans.
Western Skyways has about 100 employees; 30 percent are veterans.
“They are extremely meticulous,” said David Leis, vice president and co-owner of Western Skyways. “They have learned discipline already ... 99.9 percent work hard.”
The company was nominated by Lynn King, local veterans employment representative for the Colorado Workforce Center in Montrose.
King’s nomination was based on the relationship with Western Skyways in hiring veterans, according to a news release. One example is when the company created temporary positions for two veterans returning from duty in Iraq.
About 2 percent of the 1,000 veterans served by the department have recently been discharged from the military, Thoennes said. He said it’s important for these veterans who are new to the civilian workforce to understand the skills they bring to a job.
Many have mechanical and technical training.
Larry Flatten, a veteran and shop supervisor for Western Skyways, said military training makes licensing and qualification much easier.
However, veterans bring more than work skills to a job. They have “soft skills,” Thoennes said.
Soft skills include leadership, teamwork and a quick ability to learn.
“They bring a wealth of skills they sometimes aren’t aware of,” Thoennes said.
Flatten said his military background made it easier for him to get a job in aviation, as he spent 22 years in the Navy as a jet mechanic.
“I had plenty of opportunities all over the county,” he said. “All my friends who retired with me, not a darn one of us had trouble finding work — good career work.”
The National Economic Commission Award was created in 1947 to recognize these types of businesses, according to the American Legion Web site. The award is given to three different companies: a smaller employer with fewer than 50 employees, a medium-sized company with a workforce of 51 to 200 and a large firm employing more than 201. Western Skyways received the “medium-sized company” award.
(“The Western Region” consists of Montrose, Delta, Gunnison, Ouray, Hinsdale and San Miguel counties.)
Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com
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