Part II of Disaboom’s Interview with Kevin Barber.  Kevin offers advice to Vets transitioning into the workforce.                  

 Disaboom:  Kevin, as an entrepreneur could you speak to the disproportionate number of Veterans who are out of work and looking for jobs? Outside of the ongoing recession, what do you think are the contributing factors?

Kevin Barber: “There are a few of them. One thing that jumps out at me is that the skill-sets of a Veteran do not match-up with job descriptions from large corporations.  There’s a disconnect.  But that is being addressed by some new programs.  One of them is “Troops2Energy Jobs” started by the Department of Energy. It is a great program supported by the Utility and Energy Industry to make jobs available for Veterans.  There is going to be such a great need for skilled labor in the Energy industry due to attrition brought on by retirement, and this program is an opportunity for young and older Vets to get involved. These Veterans are disciplined, display attention to detail and they operate extremely effectively in a high stress environment.  In addition, they all know about team work and dedication. I’m really looking for that program to do some good.”

 Disaboom: Troops2Energy is a very good program, but do you think that is enough?

 Kevin Barber: “We can’t do enough and obviously the federal government can’t do it all.  They can’t respond to all the needs Veterans have on a daily basis, so that pushes it down to the local level. GE has a program entitled, “Hiring Warriors,” so there are companies that are reaching out to Veterans. Lone Star Veterans Association, which is a Texas-based Veterans’ organization, post jobs on our website. We also have a direct link to job postings from USAA and we are working with GE to get a program in place to be able to post their jobs with us as well. I think companies are starting to reach out and it is getting better but we can’t do enough and need to push this on a local level.”

 Disaboom: A report came out based on the 2007 Census that 7.2 percent of all businesses in Texas were Veteran-owned, making it the fourth in the nation. (http://www.census.gov/econ /sbo/get07sof.html?17). Then recently I saw that the statistics were less than that, why is that?

 Kevin Barber: “Everything has changed since the mandate by the VA.  The VA has changed the way they are certifying Veteran-owned small business and Disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Because there had been a lot of misuse of the process, you can no longer self-certify. Now the VA has a very strict certification process. You have to be certified by the VA by 2012 as a Veteran-owned, or Veteran-owned small business or you can’t do business with the federal government. So basically they are getting rid of all the guys who said they were veterans, but weren’t. I applaud the VA.  I think that will be fantastic”

Disaboom:  We have been an advocate for entrepreneurial opportunities for the disability community.  What advice would you give disabled Vets seeking employment or searching for entrepreneurial opportunities?  

There are companies that are looking to work with veteran-owned businesses.

 Kevin:  “I would say definitely get involved in the organizations that were set up to help them out. For example, University of Houston Technical System Center has a great program to help Veterans start their own business. Vets should use those types of programs because they will learn how to get their verification process and how to secure government contracts through diversification programs.  They should know that the verification process takes a long time to get and a government contract usually takes about two-years. They should be wary of companies that promise a lot, in a short time.  It takes time, work and perseverance but it can happen. And they should be encouraged, because there are companies that are looking to work with veteran-owned businesses.”

 Disaboom:  Are there any special loans for veterans that would like to open their own business?

 Kevin:  There is the Patriot Express Loan; it’s just a small business loan and tough to get. In Texas, we also have peoplefund.org.  It’s not a traditional lender, more like a micro lender, and they are non-profit and a little easier to work with.

If you would like to know more about: Job Training & Education for Transitioning Military Personnel & Veterans go to http://www.troops2energy.com

If you would like to read Kevin Barber’s first interview with Disaboom, go to: http://www.disaboom.com/job-advocacy/the-power-to-give-back---the-goal-and-dedication-of-a-veteran