From Service to Civilian Careers: PGCC Is Helping Veterans Take the Next Step
Andrew Crane weaved in and out of rows of tables in Prince George’s Community College’s Novak Field House last month, imagining himself entering the civilian workforce.
“(Looking for a job) is a grind. You just have to stay focused on what you’re looking for,” Crane said. “There is something out there. It’s just going to take some time. That’s why I’m here.”
After a 22-year career in the United States Marine Corps, Crane went back to school, earning an associate degree at Prince George’s Community College (PGCC). He’s completing another degree at University of Maryland Global Campus, where he is studying Human Resources.
“There’s a lot of good traits military service puts on you and you can use that to help an organization,” Crane said.
Crane was one of hundreds of job seekers at the Prince George’s Community College Veterans Annual Career & Resource Fair Sept. 30. The fair is co-hosted by the American Job Center. More than 50 employers met with more than 300 jobseekers, many of whom were veterans and active military.
“In these times today with the federal government layoffs and the volatility of the workforce, sometimes just going out and looking for a job doesn’t always work out for you,” PGCC Veterans Center Director Amber Peck said. “Being a veteran myself, I would say we come with a different skill set. We come with a different life perspective, a different drive. We know how to adapt and adjust on the fly. We will get boots on the ground and get running. No matter what the task is or the duty you assign to us, we’re going to make sure we do it and we’re going to do it to the highest level possible.”
Military and Veteran Services at PGCC is a United Way of the National Capital Area (United Way NCA) community partner grantee, supporting service members, military spouses, and dependents as they move from military and federal careers into the civilian workforce.
In addition to the annual career fair, United Way NCA for more than seven years has funded Military and Veteran Services at PGCC with a grant to support the continued operation of a dedicated Veterans Center on the Largo, Maryland campus. The Veteran’s Center was designed to support the needs of PGCC student veterans, their spouses or partners, and dependents. The grant enables PGCC to offer specialized workshops, support physical, mental, financial, and academic health. Additionally, it allows PGCC to build out workforce development services for the community, direct students to financial services offered through our Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) at PGCC, and market the center’s services and other academic, personal, and market programs aimed at boosting student engagement and belonging among the extended veteran population.
The center also helps veterans and military members with VA claims, benefits education, academic support, health screenings, and seasonal initiatives such as coat and food drives. Veterans are invited to participate in the center’s annual Shark Tank Competition, where local veterans pitch business ideas to a panel of judges.
“Veterans don’t always know how to translate their military service into civilian language,” Peck said. “So, we also have ‘resume doctors’ who are here to support with that. You have service members who are about to get out of the military. Some of them don’t know what their next move is, so offering this career fair gives them that opportunity to explore those options.”
United Way NCA distributed 150 job readiness kits to attendees and referred community members to the FEC at PGCC for free, high-quality financial services.
“Even if they don’t walk out with a job, they have the information and resources. Maybe they have to go back and revamp their resume, because they sat with a ‘resume doctor.’ After that, you just have to take the next step and apply,” Peck said.
Pepco was among the employers at the career fair. Representatives listed open positions, volunteered as “resume doctors,” and provided information on its energy assistance programs.
“There’s a lot of jobseekers looking for work today. There are opportunities at Pepco they can apply for,” Gerald Hinton of Pepco said. “Secondly, if they are looking for work, they may be struggling to pay their utility bills, so we want to let them know about some of the affordability programs we have.”
Translating a military career into a civilian one takes time, and support along the way matters. Veterans, service members, and military families can learn more about free financial services through the Financial Empowerment Center at PGCC.
