Washington, D.C. —The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber announced today a formal partnership through Hiring Our Heroes (HOH). Huntsville has been selected as the newest site for a full-time program manager to support the HOH Corporate Fellowship Program and other recruitment resources for transitioning military service members.
“Service men and women are proven leaders and team players with valuable skills that transfer easily into our economy,” said Lucia Cape, the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber’s senior vice president of economic development, industry relations, and workforce. “Hiring Our Heroes is not only a natural fit for our aerospace and defense companies, but also for our manufacturers in automotive, electronics and other precision industries.”
As one of the fastest growing tech cities in the United States, Huntsville is projected to add more than 25,000 new jobs by the end of 2022 in aerospace, defense, manufacturing, construction, logistics, and technology. The demand to fill these roles with talent from the military community is high. Eric Eversole, president of Hiring Our Heroes and vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said that program applicants have been showing interest in making Huntsville their post-military home for some time.
“Hiring Our Heroes is committed to connecting these employers with top talent from the military community to fill in-demand roles. Expanding the Corporate Fellowship Program to Huntsville is an all-round win-win,” Eversole said.
As part of the partnership, HOH has hired a full-time program manager, Preston Webb, who will be dedicated to connecting Huntsville companies with transitioning military talent. To learn more about hosting a fellow through the Huntsville CFP contact pwebb@uschamber.com.
Corporate sponsors have priority access to the HOH resources and receive additional promotion within the program. Sponsorships are available through the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber by contacting Kristy Drake (kdrake@hsvchamber.org).
Launched at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., in 2015, the Corporate Fellowship Program(CFP) is a DoD SkillBridge program available to transitioning service members during their last 180 days of active duty. Through the program, fellows gain insight into developing careers with America’s most sought-after private sector organizations while, at the same time, connecting employers with much-needed top talent from the military community. The program has experienced unbridled success, growing from three locations in 2015 to more than 15 sites across 13 states and the District of Columbia.
Approximately 1,261 service members completed fellowships in 2020 with more than 350 companies hosting fellows. The average salary for fellows who gained employment was over $90,000.
About Hiring Our Heroes
Hiring Our Heroes is a nationwide initiative to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find meaningful employment. Working with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vast network of state and local chambers and other strategic partners from the public, private and nonprofit sectors, Hiring Our Heroes has helped hundreds of thousands of veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment through more than 1,100 job fairs in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and on military installations overseas; a suite of free online career-based resources; and the Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign; and the Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses campaign.
About the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber
The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber is the catalyst for business growth, community engagement, and action to drive economic vitality and advance our position as a global leader in technology and innovation. Our mission is to prepare, develop, and promote our community for economic growth.
About the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness by addressing developments that affect our nation, our economy, and the global business environment.
