UPS to hire 25,000 veterans

   As part of the Obama administration’s “Joining Forces” initiative, UPS will hire 25,000 veterans over the next five years. The company has also pledged to serve more than 25,000 hours volunteering for veterans service organizations.
   According to a press release, veterans and members of reserve and National Guard units currently make up 7.5 percent of the company’s workforce.
   The company’s pledge will include transition programs for veterans, new alliances with veterans service organizations, and the establishment of veteran business resource groups.
   “The Joining Forces initiative is an important and natural extension of UPS’s outward and visible support of the men and women that serve in the military,” Scott Davis, UPS’s chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “Veterans, who through their service, honored their nation, should know that UPS can and wants their talents and skills to be recognized and valued.”
   Last month, Werner Enterprises said it would hire 5,000 veterans in the next five years as part of its Operation Freedom program. The company said 20 percent of its current driver base is made up of veterans. – Jon Ross