John Deere to Highlight Support of U.S. Military Personnel in Testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
WASHINGTON, March 23 -- In testimony scheduled for Wednesday before the U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, a Deere & Company representative is expected to highlight the company's keen interest in employing those who return from U.S. military service and its progressive policies toward Reservists and National Guard members. Deere will tell the committee that current initiatives will improve the company's recruiting efforts for skilled employees and have enhanced John Deere as an attractive place to work.
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The Veterans' Affairs Committee is holding hearings on Wednesday to determine how the private sector perceives former military service members who are seeking employment.
"It is John Deere's philosophy that our support for those called to duty is not only the right thing to do for America, but it is good business as well," said Steve Wohlwend, a senior division manager of industrial relations for John Deere, who is expected to testify before the Committee Wednesday.
Wohlwend will highlight John Deere's involvement in the Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS) program of the United States Army. The program allows the Army to use offers of employment opportunities with partner corporations as a recruitment tool. Army recruits can select a partner company and job category for potential future employment and align their military training opportunities with actual private sector job requirements.
The Army is allowed to leverage the strength of the John Deere brand name and that of other leading companies in recruiting, said Wohlwend. Upon completion of soldiers' military service, the companies have an opportunity to hire employees with excellent military training and experience.
"The program is beneficial for the Army, its corporate partners and the recruits," said Wohlwend. "The PaYS program helps the Army in its recruitment efforts, pairs the recruit's skills and training with Deere's actual business needs and helps ensure the recruit that military training is transferable to the private sector."
Deere launched its involvement in 2000 so the first enlistees are expected to soon be exiting the military for civilian life. Over the next several years, John Deere will give hiring preference to more than 200 Army PaYS participants.
"We fully expect to benefit from their extensive targeted training and also from the maturity and discipline gained through their military service," Wohlwend said. "We believe both John Deere and the U.S. Army are beneficiaries of the Partnership for Youth Success, a valuable public-private partnership."
Wohlwend also said John Deere exceeds federal requirements in place since 1994 after adopting special provisions to the company's military leave and pay policies following terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and extending these policies as the global war on terrorism continues.
The enhancements include 12 months of salary or wage differential as well as full health, life and other John Deere benefits for those called to full- time military service. After twelve months, these soldiers are provided an additional six months of company-sponsored medical and dental benefits. At the present time, Wohlwend said, John Deere has 55 employees who continue to receive these benefits while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
"John Deere takes great pride in providing these enhancements and views this approach as an important part of our corporate citizenship," Wohlwend said. "John Deere benefits when these citizen-soldiers return home and bring their added skills, training and work ethic to assist our company in meeting the competitive challenges of the global marketplace."
John Deere (Deere & Company) is the world's leading manufacturer of agricultural and forestry equipment; a leading supplier of equipment used in lawn, grounds and turf care; and a major manufacturer of construction equipment. John Deere also manufactures and markets engines used in heavy equipment and the company provides financial services worldwide.
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