National Skills Summit

National Skills Summit
Innovative Initiatives: High Tech and Sciences

Communications Workers of America and Cisco Systems: Military to Work Project

The Challenge:

To connect a pool of qualified and trainable former military personnel with employers in the high-tech field.

The Solution:

Create a centralized assessment and referral service to match workers with jobs, using the Internet and a collaboration between labor and management.

The Partners:

Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO is the largest telecommunications union in North America, representing more than 630,000 workers in the U.S. and Canada.

Cisco Systems is a giant in the networking industry.

The Story:

A week after sending her resume to the Communications Workers of America, Navy veteran Maria Daloia secured a highly-paid job in the high-tech industry. She is one of the many veterans taking advantage of the Military to Work Project, which links experienced veterans with employers or helps them get the training they need to land good jobs.

As part of the Military to Work Project, veterans and transitioning service members complete an Internet job application and assessment test designed by Cisco Systems. Telecommunications companies from around the country send their job openings to CWA, which evaluates applicants and refers them to the companies. Major telecommunications firms such as AT&T, Lucent Technologies, and US West, as well as numerous smaller cable, security, and alarm companies, have already tapped into this pool of experienced workers.

CWA reports that more than 150 veterans have been placed in jobs with starting salaries averaging $14 per hour. After four years in the field, many veterans will be making the top industry rate of approximately $56,000 per year.

The success of the Military to Work program has fueled its expansion. In 2000, Stanly Community College in North Carolina joined the project to provide applicants with long-distance learning opportunities in certified skill programs, including the Cisco Networking Academy. Cisco is increasing its commitment to the program by providing additional lab equipment to meet the growing demand from veterans. Fourteen new labs will be installed in CWA facilities in Florida, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Ohio, North Carolina, Texas, and other sites in the Midwest.

A Model of Innovation:

Labor and management have forged a highly effective partnership and are making headway toward solving the skills shortage affecting the high tech and communications industry. Few businesses are unfamiliar with CWA's ability to find them qualified workers.

Contacts:

Morton Bahr, President
Communications Workers of America
501 Third Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-434-1100 (p)
202-434-1252 (f)

Steve Hill, Employment and Training Administrator
Communications Workers of America
501 Third Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-434-1228 (p)

John Morgridge, Chairman of the Board
Cisco Systems
170 West Tasman Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
800-250-4800 (p)

Scott Knell, Education Alliances Manager
Cisco Systems
170 West Tasman Drive
San Jose, CA
95134 800-250-4800 (p)

Highlight quote:

"Our veterans are some of the best workers a company could want, and they deserve the best opportunities." -U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman Highlight quote: "We do have countless numbers of Americans who will take the training, who can become qualified for most of the jobs in the industry if we give them the opportunity."
-Morton Bahr, president of the Communications Workers of America. (quoted in The Seattle Times, 4/11/00)

Highlight quote:

"The Partnership between Cisco and CWA is a concrete example that demonstrates how to leverage Internet capabilities to connect people to opportunities."

-John Morgridge, Chairman of the Board Cisco Systems, Inc.