WASHINGTON - A new partnership was signed into effect between the Army Reserve’s Private Public Partnership Office (P3O) and American Corporate Partners’ (ACP) Women’s Veteran Mentoring Program, March 21, at the Pentagon.



The match brought together two organizations dedicated to assisting military personnel transition into the civilian sector and it launched a new female focused veteran assistance program.



P3O develops, integrates and directs partner relations for the Army Reserve and helps build partnerships with private and public organizations in order to maximize success at home and abroad while advancing individual, leader, and unit readiness.



ACP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting veterans in their transition from the armed services to the civilian workforce. They offer veterans tools for long-term career development through mentoring, career counseling and networking opportunities.



“Transition of service members to the civilian workforce is of great importance to the leaders at the highest level of the Army as well as to the Soldier and their family,” said Erin Thede, the director of P3O.



The objective of this partnership recognized unique challenges military women face during their transition by providing targeted assistance through the new Women’s Veteran Mentoring Program.



“All service members transitioning out of the armed services face a challenge, but women in particular face a unique set of challenges,” said retired General Ann Dunwoody.



According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the unemployment rate for male veterans (5.7 percent) overall was lower than the rate for female veterans in 2015 at 6.9 percent and of that minority women had the highest rate 4.2 percent.



“In the next 5 years over 1 million Soldiers are expected to transition out of the military with more than 100,000 being women” said Stephen Austin, Assistant Chief of Army Reserve.



“Many of these women veterans feel isolated, unacknowledged and invisible in a society that cannot understand or comprehend what they have experienced,” he said.



The Women’s Veteran Mentoring Program is specifically designed to pair women veterans with America’s corporate leaders who voluntarily provide professional guidance about the civilian workplace.



The program offers personalized, one-on-one yearlong mentorships for transitioning, post-9/11 servicewomen. Top businesswomen share a breadth of career guidance with female veterans, including networking, building civilian-friendly resumes, leadership skills, and work-life balance.



“Women have always served their country especially when America has gone to war facing the same risks as their male counterparts, proving themselves in combat zones all over the globe,” said Austin. “Now it’s our turn to do everything we can to see that they get the help and assistance they need.”



Women’s Veteran Mentoring Program is just one of many programs offered by ACP, a nationwide mentoring program dedicated to helping veterans transition to private enterprise through career counseling and networking opportunities.



“ACP was founded on a simple concept, which is to help our returning military find their second career” said Sidney Goodfriend, founder and chairman of American Corporate Partners.



This signing further celebrates March as Women’s History Month, which honors the history of our women who have served in honor of defending our freedom.



Sgt. Chad Lungell of the 323rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Military Intelligence Reserve Command stated that the Women’s Veterans Mentoring Program (ACP) helps bridge the gap between the Active, Reserve, Guard components and civilian job sector.



“When you hear military veteran you automatically think of a male, hard-charging, but there are a significant number of female Soldiers serving in critical support roles,” said Lungell.



“It’s not only the civilian world recognizing our Soldiers skills especially in this case our female veterans, but our female Soldiers recognizing that there is something they have to give,” he said.



“ACP is one of several resources available to our female service members,” said Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, Chief of Army Reserve. “I applaud our business community for its engagement with our returning veterans.



To learn more about American Corporate Partners and the Women’s Veteran Mentoring Program visit their website at http://www.acp-usa.org/ (external link)

NEWS INFO Date Taken: 03.21.2016 Date Posted: 03.22.2016 21:41 Story ID: 193200 Location: WASHINGTON, DC, US Web Views: 111 Downloads: 0 Podcast Hits: 0 PUBLIC DOMAIN This work, Mentorship Opportunities for Female Reserve Veterans, by SFC Deidra Jackson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.