According to the U.S. Department of Defense nearly 1,300 service members and their families start the process of reintegrating into civilian life every day, which can certainly be a stressful and sometimes intimidating time. To help with this, the U.S. Army created the Partnership for Youth Success or PaYS Program for American businesses to partner with active Army, Army Reserve, ROTC, and U.S. National Guard members.
What makes this partnership different from other military programs is its future-focused approach. “This program allows new service members to look to their future and make a plan years before they begin their transition into civilian careers,” said Stephanie Metzler, Mears’ Vice President of Workforce Development.
One of Mears’ goals is to strengthen the communities we serve by hiring, educating, and retaining our service men and women. To further our military commitment, Mears began a partnership with PaYS in August 2020. Through this partnership, Mears guarantees an interview with a possible offer of employment to candidates. This helps ease the stress that comes with finding career opportunities post-service by creating a clear plan of action to transition to civilian life through coaching and mentoring.
The official signing ceremony occurred on March 4, 2021 with Colonel LaTonya Jordan, Commander of the 5th Recruiting Brigade from the U.S. Army, and Vivek Arora, Mears’ Executive Vice President.
Arora explained, “At Mears, we not only offer smooth transition programs for our service members, but we offer the ability to continue the service mindset by serving the communities in which we operate.”
With a number of different roles offered across various departments, Mears can help PaYS members on their path to a successful civilian career. Metzler concluded, “These service members and their families sacrificed for our country, and at Mears, we have this amazing opportunity to ease the burden of reintegration by hiring them before they complete their transition out of the Army.”
Are you in the military and looking for a civilian career when your service ends? Check out our military opportunities.
