Hire a vet, Vander Plaats tells employers

Iowa employers can honor military veterans' sacrifices in defense of freedom by recognizing their special skill sets when it's time to hire employees, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats said today -- Veteran's Day.

“I'm a business leadership consultant and one thing I've also appreciated about our armed services is the ability to turn young, raw recruits into leaders and to continue to build leadership skills in all personnel, not matter how high they advance in rank,” Vander Plaats said. “Veterans understand the practical ways to manage for results.”

Vander Plaats encouraged Iowa employers to review materials developed by the group Hire Vets First, including its outline of reasons to hire military veterans.

“They point out that veterans can handle steep learning curves and have a proven ability to learn new concepts and skills. Veterans have learned how to work side by side with others.  They obviously know how to perform under pressure.  I respect the fact that they know how true teamwork grows from a responsibility to colleagues,” Vander Plaats said.  “Many veterans have benefited from world travel and they're tech-savvy because of the state-of-the-art equipment they've worked with.”

He urged employers to contact the Iowa Department of Workforce Development or learn more about hiring military veterans by visiting

www.hirevetsfirst.gov.