By Tom Murphy, Director, Human Resiliency Institute, Fordham University
Edge4Vets will expand its veteran employment training program offered in partnership with ACI-NA in the spring of 2022 to give a broad array of airports in the U.S. and Canada an opportunity to accelerate veterans into their workforce over the next few years as airports build back talent and the industry continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Edge4Vets model of PREP and CONNECT proved effective when it was offered in-person at six airports prior to the pandemic. This fall, the Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University, which offers Edge4Vets, will roll out its online training product to several ACI-NA member airports in order to lay the foundation for the online approach over the next few years.
The Houston Airport System (HAS) recently served as a successful test case for the online program. Thirty-five veterans participated in the online course. The online model consists of two ZOOM sessions and an online course veterans may take at their own pace to learn how to translate their military strengths and create a personal PLAN4SUCCESS. Edge4Vets also worked with HAS to set up a recruitment program that included outreach to veterans in the Houston community, as well as enlistment of schools with veterans studying on the GI Bill.
The online course will be offered in the spring of 2022 for HAS as well two to three additional airports to build a network of airports participating in the program. The goal is to grow the Edge4Vets system of PREP and CONNECT and offer the program to dozens of airports simultaneously over the next few years. Buffalo Niagara International Airport has committed to join HAS for the spring offering, and two other airports are currently exploring the procurement process. Beginning in the spring of 2022, Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University will work with Edge4Vets to publicize the training workshop series to its student and veterans studying aviation world-wide and give them an opportunity to connect to jobs at airports in the ACI-NA/Edge4Vets network.
Edge4Vets teaches veterans how to translate their military strengths into tools for civilian success, and then connects them with human resources professionals at participating airports to learn about career opportunities. They watch videos, do exercises and create a personal PLAN4SUCCESS with statements in four areas: Vision, Values, Skills and an Action Plan.
For more information on Edge4Vets and the online training system of PREP and CONNECT, please visit Edge4Vets.org.
To learn more about how your airport can participate in the expansion of this program, please contact Nancy Zimini, ACI-NA’s Chief Administration and Operations Officer at NZimini@airportscouncil.org.
