Operation New Horizons (Veteran Internship Program) Seeks Employers

Operation New Horizons (Veteran Internship Program)

Mission:
“Operation New Horizons” (ONH), will focus on getting veterans into the workforce through the experience of internships. The ONH program is seeking employers who feel the returning veterans are a vital resource in the community and want to provide them with the opportunity to gain civilian level experience through internships. The reason for using internships as a transitioning tool is for the purpose of allowing some flex ability for veterans to have a feel for what it is they want to make a career. By allowing veterans into various professions the companies that participate are helping to rebuild the lives of our brave American Military Veterans.

Scope:
The focus of this program is to have employers from technical and professional companies in the Austin area provide our veterans with internships. The veteran population accepted in the program will be screened for stability and lifestyles that may create conflict with our participating companies.

Prerequisites for Participation

Veterans:

1. All veterans desiring to participate in the ONH program will need to agree to conduct themselves as professionals at all times—on job site and off.
2. Veterans must have a stability program in place or created by the time of internship; by stability program this means counseling (family, substance abuse, individual) or other form of support. (Important to note is this program doesn’t force anyone to participate in anything that isn’t effective. The purpose behind creating a stability program is to always have a plan in case of unforeseen life stressors.)
3. Veterans will create a projected goal chart showing what they hope to gain from participating in the program.
4. Veterans will meet with our financial planner and develop a budget for successful management of finances.

All veterans that participate are welcomed to revisit any of their progress planning charts at any time to restructure goals to fit their needs. Everyone is unique and has life stressors that are different from anyone else; to ensure everything is beneficial to each veteran there are no set in stone facets in ONH.

Business Requirements:
1.  Businesses that participate are agreeing to provide a 3 to 6 month internship to one of the participating veterans’.
2.  Businesses will provide weekly feed back to ONH on the veteran’s strengths and weaknesses so to provide better specific focus for sculpting a well-rounded employee.
3. Businesses will provide flexible 3-5 hour work days for veteran interns.
4. Businesses must report any discrepancies to ONH about a veteran’s professionalism and conduct. (Veterans who are found to have conduct or professionalism issues will be required to complete an edicate training before returning to the internship. We want to provide veterans with the ability to become successful citizens and must remain aware that military and civilian cultures may clash; please keep in consideration that some veterans may only know military culture.)
5. Businesses will provide interns with a letter of recommendation after successful completion of an internship.

Veteran Exploitation Protection:
All veterans who participate in the program are doing so by their own free will. No veteran will be required to participate in any activity that places them at risk or are deemed by the veteran as conflicting with their integrity, morals, or principles. Each veteran is to work as an intern and shadow an employee to gain experience and understanding of what it takes to be a professional in the field. Veterans will not be responsible for duties that full time employees are not expected to perform; if a veteran is performing a task a full time employee will be present and assisting.

End-State:
The final goal of this program is to have veterans gain an understanding of what it takes to become a successful employee in their desired profession. By providing veterans with these internships and letters of recommendation employers are shaping the individual to be prepared for the professional environment. We hope to build the self-confidence of these brave individuals by the end of their term in the program. Success will be measured in the number of veterans able to return to career focused employment.