Jon Stewart: Steal Our Idea
Posted July 6, 2015 by Lois Gilbert
I LOVE JULY 4TH
The pageantry, marching bands, fireworks and barbecues. Watching Capitol Fourth and Macy’s Fireworks, I stand for the National Anthem and know the words to the all the patriotic songs and the songs from all the Armed Services. I watch the service men and women standing tall with pride.
Looking at these service men and woman brought to mind the articles that I recently read about returning veterans and their transitioning into civilian life.
Let me share some of this with you.
Hopefully the following information will give you some ideas as to how your company, no matter how big or small, can help these veterans in their transition to civilian life.
Jon Stewart, although a very vocal critic of the Iraq War, is passionate about helping vets – and he is doing it in an incredibly meaningful way. Kudos to Jon.
In 2013, American Corporate Partners, a mentoring nonprofit group, asked Mr. Stewart to take a veteran under his wing and help find that person a job in television, which involved making a few calls.
“Jon said he wanted to help, but wanted to do more than just drop his name,” said Sid Goodfriend, who runs the program.
Instead, “The Daily Show” host has started what’s billed as a five-week television boot camp specifically for war veterans who want to break into the industry. Over the last three years, he has been quietly building the program, and is only going public now because he is leaving his hosting duties this fall and is hoping other people will copy his idea.
They put out word to veterans’ groups but did not mention that the boot camp was at “The Daily Show,” an attempt to weed out fans and focus instead on veterans who really wanted to work in the industry.
“This is ready to franchise. Please steal our idea,” Mr. Stewart said in an interview at his Manhattan studio recently. “It isn’t charity. To be good in this business you have to bring in different voices from different places, and we have this wealth of experience that just wasn’t being tapped.”
“There are well-worn channels into this industry that are closed off to veterans,” Mr. Stewart said. “You get into the television industry generally by going to certain colleges known for having good television programs, getting internships and getting to know people who work in the industry. A lot of veterans never had that opportunity because they were busy at war. This is a way to give them that chance.”
Click on link below for the complete interview:
Learn more about American Corporate Partners (ACP)
American Corporate Partners (ACP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting veterans in their transition from the armed services to the civilian workforce. With the help of business professionals nationwide, ACP offers veterans tools for long-term career development through mentoring, career counseling, and networking opportunities.
According to the American Legion, U.S. employers have pledged to hire 100,000 veterans in the next five years.
From JP Morgan, Macy’s, Verizon, Johnson & Johnson to UPS, big business has been crucial to the hiring of returning veterans.
There are a myriad of ways that small businesses can be a part of this movement.
Do you have place for an intern? Can you be part of a Job Fair for Veterans? Can you start a mentoring program?
For small businesses:
The VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 provides an expanded Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to businesses that hire eligible unemployed veterans and for the first time also makes the credit available to certain tax-exempt organizations.
tax credits for hiring veterans
I’m proud that the Career Communications Industry – those of us engaged in career coaching, resume writing, job search, social media, online identity management and networking are working with organizations such as Wounded Warriors.
Please let me know ideas that your company comes up with so I can pass them on. Jon Stewart
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