ReThink Ready is a series of taped roundtable discussions about untapped pools of talented workers who might be overlooked in the hiring process, but have valuable skills and are ready to get to work if given the opportunity. Each discussion is a deep-dive into a single community of workers and job seekers, examining the unique skills they add to the workforce. We bring together leaders in nonprofits, business, education, and government to share initiatives and ideas that are making progress in bringing attention to these sometimes hidden or underestimated workers. We also examine training programs that can help those in these communities get any missing skills needed to make them even more ready for jobs now and in the future. ReThink Ready is produced by WorkingNation in collaboration with LinkedIn.

For some of the 200,000 women and men who transition from military service into the civilian workforce each year, finding a good-paying job right out of the military can be challenging. Sometimes civilian employers are unaware of the experience and skills a veteran learns during their time serving the country and might overlook them in the hiring process. These are not just soft skills such as team work and problem solving, but hard skills learned, say, as a data analyst or logistics specialist.This is a two-way street. Sometimes veterans are unaware of the opportunities that already exist for them to seamlessly slip into a new role right out of the military or to get the missing training they need to do so.Military spouses also face unique challenges, including inconsistent resumes that reflect how often military families move as a service man or woman's assignment shifts every two years or so. There's also the issue of a spouse qualifying for licenses or certifications—such as for teaching or nursing—when their loved one has to move from state to state.A few weeks ago, WorkingNation and LinkedIn brought together a small group of respected members of the military-connected community to discuss what is actively being done to help veterans and military spouses navigate this jobs and career pathway.

Meet the Panelists and Our Moderator:

Carol Eggert, Comcast NBCUniversal, SVP Military & Veterans AffairsIvan Denton, Department of Labor, Director Veterans ProgramsBennie Anderson, Duke Energy, Enterprise Lead, Military & VeteransSarah Roberts, LinkedIn, Head Military & Veterans ProgramsModerator: Hari Sreenivasan, PBS NewsHour, Anchor

WATCH NOW: ReThink Ready: Reconnecting the Military-Connected Community to the Workforce

The Military Can Help Ease the Transition

This was an impassioned and thoughtful conversation about the value of the military-connected community, hiring and training opportunities available now to veterans, and supporting military spouses in the civilian workforce. The panelists also discussed some of the hurdles facing the military-connected community and what is being done to overcome them.Ivan Denton, director of programs at the U.S. Department of Labor, says it’s important for military personnel preparing to complete their service to be aware of the resources available to help with transition to civilian life. “The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) came about when the recession hit in 2010 and [veteran] unemployment was around 10%. TAP became kind of a requirement for all those exiting the service in 2011.”Denton notes one earn-and-learn resource which gives a soon-to-be-separated service member an opportunity to explore work in the civilian community. “DOD SkillBridge is where an employer can basically let you try them out the last six months you're serving. They get paid by their service to work and [the employer] can get to know them, they can get to know [the employer]. DOD SkillBridge is changing how service members navigate TAP. It's changing how U.S. employers have access to a talented manpower pool.”Denton points out that the numbers of service members using the resource is growing...