Free SHRM Foundation Course Teaches HR Professionals About Hiring Veterans



​The SHRM Foundation will offer a new certificate program that teaches best practices to attract, hire and retain veterans. The program is free and open to all HR professionals.

The certificate program, available beginning Nov. 14, is the latest product of the Foundation initiative Integrating & Engaging Veterans in the Workforce. It is based on the Foundation's new, free guidebook that makes the business case for hiring military and veteran candidates and that offers evidence-based guidelines, case studies, and resources.

"Veterans bring a unique and invaluable set of skills to the workplace," said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, president and chief executive officer of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). "However, without the proper training, HR professionals do not always know how to translate military service skills to civilian jobs. This certificate program serves as an educational effort among HR professionals to ensure veteran skills are not overlooked."

The multifaceted program will include online training, quizzes and content review, and pre- and post-participation surveys. Anyone holding the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP credential can earn 10 professional development credits toward recertification. It takes about 10 hours to complete the program, according to the Foundation.

[SHRM members-only toolkit: Managing Affirmative Action Programs]

The Foundation is partnering with Comcast NBCUniversal and PsychArmor Institute to offer the program. PsychArmor is a national nonprofit organization that provides free education and support for all Americans to engage effectively with the military community. It is providing online courses for the certificate program.

The certificate is the signature product of the Foundation's veterans' initiative, noted Michelle Sparacino, SHRM-SCP, director of the Foundation's strategic initiatives. It is designed, she said, "to turn two key resources that we launched earlier this year—our new guidebook and the courses offered through our partnership with the PsychArmor Institute—into a cohesive unit of education promoting the value veterans bring to the workforce."

It's imperative to educate employers and HR professionals to support veterans, members of the National Guard and the Reserve, who "face unique challenges in the workplace," said Marjorie Morrison, CEO & Founder of PsychArmor Institute, in a news release.

Comcast NBCUniversal hired more than 10,000 military community members between 2015 and 2017 and in November announced its goal to hire an additional 11,000 veterans, military spouses, and National Guard and Reserve members by the end of 2021.

The certificate program and its partnership with the Foundation give Comcast "the opportunity to empower other employers and professionals across the country to succeed in their veteran hiring efforts," said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Carol Eggert in a news release. She is senior vice president for military and veteran affairs at Comcast NBCUniversal.

"Partnering with the industry-leading SHRM Foundation," she said, "gives us the opportunity to empower other employers and professionals across the country to succeed in their veteran hiring efforts."

The Foundation will host a full day of sessions on recruiting, hiring, training and retaining veterans during the SHRM Volunteer Leaders' Summit on Nov. 15 at the National Harbor in Maryland.