Stan

[bigmamma]

Good job... :Y:

[krista]

What do you guys think of that 48% unemployment rate that everyone is all up in arms about? 18-22 year old veterans have either been kicked out or injured. Of course their unemployment rate is going to be higher. They're either dirtbags or injured! On that same table, the rate drops significantly to 14% for 25 and over. No one is acknowledging that point though. Tell me I'm right

[bigmamma]

Or they come off Active Duty... collect unemployment and go to school full time.

However you are right 18-22? Ummm...?

[krista]

yeah, how do you become a "veteran" at 18-22, before your initial obligation is up??? You fuck up or get hurt. That 48% is incredibly inflated by guys that got kicked out. As evidenced by the fact that it drops dramatically with increasing age. I'm beyond frustrated that no one is acknowledging that.

[amaristella]

So being in the military isn't just fun and games and an awesome job at the end? The word "service" isn't just tacked on the end for shits and giggles?

[krista]

That number could even include BCT failures. It's just not as straightforward as it seems.

[basilosaurus]

Aug 16, 2012 17:45:29 GMT -5 krista said:

yeah, how do you become a "veteran" at 18-22, before your initial obligation is up??? You fuck up or get hurt. That 48% is incredibly inflated by guys that got kicked out. As evidenced by the fact that it drops dramatically with increasing age. I'm beyond frustrated that no one is acknowledging that.

I think that's fine for an explanation for why it's higher than the average in that age group, but it doesn't address the huge disparity between races. I'm still scratching my head over that one.

There was a Fresh Air on how veterans in general have higher unemployment rates. I didn't get to listen to the whole thing, but it was pretty interesting. I'll see if I can dig it up.

There is definitely something to be said for how mil jobs don't necessarily have an easy correlation to civilian jobs. Even in H's field, where there is actually a direct corporate corollary (eg as opposed to being a tank driver), your average enlistee out after 4 years wouldn't stand a chance b/c in the corporate world, those jobs are done by people with far more education and experience.

The mil does really well with training those who are young without much education, but then the civilian world still expects that education rather than allowing for experience to count. You can't be a medic who then transfers right to a job in a hospital with equivalent repsonsibilities, kwim?

[krista]

Aug 16, 2012 19:43:05 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Aug 16, 2012 17:45:29 GMT -5 krista said:

yeah, how do you become a "veteran" at 18-22, before your initial obligation is up??? You fuck up or get hurt. That 48% is incredibly inflated by guys that got kicked out. As evidenced by the fact that it drops dramatically with increasing age. I'm beyond frustrated that no one is acknowledging that.

I think that's fine for an explanation for why it's higher than the average in that age group, but it doesn't address the huge disparity between races. I'm still scratching my head over that one.

True, I didn't pay attention to the other statistics. Although I still don't know if you could say that the disparity between races is due to the military being shitty preparation for the real world. In my opinion, much of the blame on the military for those unemployment rates is misplaced.

[Dory1988]

Aug 16, 2012 19:43:05 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Aug 16, 2012 17:45:29 GMT -5 krista said:

yeah, how do you become a "veteran" at 18-22, before your initial obligation is up??? You fuck up or get hurt. That 48% is incredibly inflated by guys that got kicked out. As evidenced by the fact that it drops dramatically with increasing age. I'm beyond frustrated that no one is acknowledging that.

I think that's fine for an explanation for why it's higher than the average in that age group, but it doesn't address the huge disparity between races. I'm still scratching my head over that one.

There was a Fresh Air on how veterans in general have higher unemployment rates. I didn't get to listen to the whole thing, but it was pretty interesting. I'll see if I can dig it up.

There is definitely something to be said for how mil jobs don't necessarily have an easy correlation to civilian jobs. Even in H's field, where there is actually a direct corporate corollary (eg as opposed to being a tank driver), your average enlistee out after 4 years wouldn't stand a chance b/c in the corporate world, those jobs are done by people with far more education and experience.

The mil does really well with training those who are young without much education, but then the civilian world still expects that education rather than allowing for experience to count. You can't be a medic who then transfers right to a job in a hospital with equivalent repsonsibilities, kwim?

So then they should take online classes using their GI bill and TA while they're in to get that degree. My husband took classes while deployed for a BSN. He took classes before he left too despite being at work from 06:00-18:00 for 5 days out of 7. He will have his BSN (including the 2 weeks of clinicals required by his online program) before he gets out. It's a program geared toward military medical providers with no degree. Speaking with a nurse manager in our ER while waiting for a trauma to arrive the other day, I found that his combat/trauma experience will translate well to the experience she would love for a new nurse to have.

Sure, my husband's one of those crazy motivators that wouldn't sleep if it weren't necessary but, it's still not impossible or inconceivable for other people to do this in other fields. DH wouldn't throw away his experience as a Corpsman for anything because he never could have had the experience he did without it and now he will leave the military with a degree, a higher level of medical experience than any other new grad, and the opportunity to pursue a civilian career he believes he will enjoy as much as his military job.

From my side of things it just irritated me that they think we should cut the military "cannon fodder" by 85% and send people to trade school. My town's unemployment is much higher than the national average. A majority of those that went to trade school and are employed in my town work for defense contractors. They're already being laid off due to draw downs. So, gasp, trade school isn't an answer here. Am I supposed to support the crippling of my hometown so that we can save x amount of dollars?

Sorry had to add that. I missed the whole thread over there because I was at work.

[Dory1988]

My point was it's not impossible, not that everyone can do it.