June 03, 2013

Accenture to Provide Veteran Training Services for U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

“Hiring Our Heroes” job fairs will help service members transition to civilian careers

ARLINGTON, Va.; June 3, 2013 – Accenture Federal Services has completed the first 19 workshops designed to help reach the Chamber’s goal of supporting civilian employment for 500,000 veterans and spouses under a year-long management consulting contract with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Accenture is leading four-hour workshops to sharpen veterans’ employment skills, focusing on networking, personal branding, resume writing and interviewing skills. About 100 “Hiring Our Heroes Job Fairs” are planned across the country during the next 12 months. Approximately 370 veterans have benefited from the workshops to date.

“Accenture is committed to supporting veterans as they transition from the military to the civilian workforce by providing skills translation and training opportunities that improve direct access to jobs,” said Ed Meehan, who leads Accenture’s work with federal civilian agencies. “Military professionals are known for their commitment to excellence, attention to detail, and ability to succeed, exemplifying many of the same core values we live at Accenture.”

Accenture will tap into its employee base in more than 30 cities across the country, sending trainers to job fairs near its office locations, creating cost savings and efficiencies for the Chamber. Job fairs currently are scheduled for cities including Kingsport, Tenn; Ogden, Utah; Fort Belvoir, Va.; and Guayanilla, Puerto Rico.

“After traveling across the country to host job fairs, we quickly came to realize that the most successful jobseekers were also the most prepared, so we were thrilled when Accenture stepped up to facilitate over 100 employment workshops in conjunction with our hiring fairs,” said Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Schmiegel (ret.), executive director of Hiring Our Heroes. “Accenture’s focus on essential strategies and effective tools for the job hunt is going to make sure that countless veterans and spouses are not only prepared for our fairs, but for a successful future.”

Accenture’s Veterans Executive Advisory Group will oversee the trainers, serving as a sounding board to ensure the training delivery and format is tailored to the needs of veterans. The advisory group is composed of Accenture executives and includes several former general officers who have deep relationships with the military. The group meets quarterly to review veteran training activities and provide veteran recruitment guidance. Keith Lippert, a retired Navy vice admiral and Accenture Federal Services managing director, is a member of the advisory group.

“The lessons learned in the military are very transferrable to the work we do at Accenture. Leadership, discipline, organization, teamwork, and doing what it takes to get the job done are a few of the many skills that Accenture looks for when hiring,” Lippert said. “Our task is to help those who have recently separated from the military to articulate their incredible value to potential employers.”

In addition to providing veteran training services for the Chamber, the company recently launched the Accenture Military Career Coach, an online tool with instructional content to help veterans transitioning from the military into civilian jobs. The tool dovetails with Accenture’s overall commitment to bring the talent of former service members to the company. Accenture also is working on other veteran employment skills efforts including the USO Institute for Veterans and Military Families and American Corporate Partners, where more than 100 Accenture executives are engaging in year-long, one-on-one mentor relationships with transitioning military members.

Accenture Federal Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of Accenture LLP, a U.S. company, with offices in Arlington, Va. Accenture’s federal business serves every cabinet-level department and 20 of the largest federal organizations. The U.S. federal portfolio spans across clients in civilian, defense, intelligence and public safety agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Learn more about Accenture’s work with federal agencies and nonprofits, and its global program, Delivering Public Service for the Future.

About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 261,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$27.9 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2012. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

# # #

Contact:

Joanne Veto
Accenture
+ 703 947 2590
+ 703 963 4212 (mobile)
joanne.m.veto@accenture.com