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Madison — Jim Reynolds was ready to retire from the Wisconsin National Guard and get a civilian job, but with high unemployment among the ranks of guardsmen he wasn't sure he could find one.

A sergeant first class, Reynolds had served 21 years in the military, deploying twice to Kuwait and Iraq, and was a federal technician in a Wisconsin National Guard field maintenance shop. He wanted to transition to the civilian sector.

Fortunately for Reynolds, the Wisconsin National Guard has a program for folks in uniform seeking employment. Since the Wisconsin Employment Resource Connection started in late 2011, more than 500 Guard members have found full-time jobs.

Reynolds, 40, who started earlier this month as a service and sales technician at Milwaukee-based Optimum Vehicle Logistics, was honored at a ceremony Wednesday at the Wisconsin National Guard headquarters as the 500th guardsman hired through the program.

"It was surprisingly easy to find a job. They were able to match my skills" with an employer, Reynolds said before the ceremony.

When the Wisconsin Employment Resource Connection program began, unemployment among state Army National Guard members was 10.1%, higher than the state and national unemployment rates. Now it's 5.1%, lower than those rates.

Capt. Joe Ledger, the program's manager, said the average hourly wage for Guard members hired through the initiative is $17.

"I look at it as 500 lives changed," Ledger said.

Employers participating in the program include manufacturers, government agencies and small and large businesses. Among them is Reynolds' new employer, Optimum Vehicle Logistics, a military vehicle spare parts distributor.

"Jim brought a level of expertise our company didn't have," said Kelly Webb, director of marketing. "Coming from the private sector we don't always know what's on the (military) side, so it helps to have a veteran."

The Wisconsin Employment Resource Connection matches service members with jobs based on the skills they acquired in their military and civilian careers. Through interview coaching and résumé creation, the program provides a personalized experience, catering to the needs of each guardsman in helping find the right job.

The Wisconsin Employment Resource Connection started in October 2011 and three months later teamed up with the National Guard Bureau's Job Connection Education Program, which started similar programs in Tennessee, Texas and Iowa.

In the first year, 105 Wisconsin National Guard members were placed in jobs, while in the last 14 months 410 service members found employment. More than 700 résumés were created for guardsmen and 120 CEOs and human resources managers who attended a Wisconsin National Guard business summit.

Because of the success of the program, Wisconsin Employment Resource Connection staff grew from two people to eight last year, though three full-time positions filled by Wisconsin National Guard members were cut in fiscal year 2014 because of budget constraints.

Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar noted that many Wisconsin Guardsmen have served multiple deployments in the last decade, and the skills and training they received make them good employees in the civilian business world.

"We're not looking for charity or a handout. These men and women are highly skilled and trained," said Dunbar, the state adjutant general. "Their teamwork and leadership translate to anything, and I think most employers would welcome that."