When our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines go overseas, each of them takes the words “leave no man behind” as a sacred obligation. That is a big part of the bond that brings them together on the battlefield. The challenge is that when they come home from the battlefield, too many of them are ‘left behind’ by the civilian economy.
That’s why a number of insurance industry executives and CEOs came together to found Disabled Veterans Insurance Careers, Inc. – and we are asking other leaders in the industry to join us in supporting our nation’s disabled veterans.
Our Mission
Our mission is to educate, train and create meaningful employment opportunities throughout the insurance industry for disabled veterans. We do this by working with veterans to provide exclusive and personal training that meets their needs, keeps them within their communities, and helps them get licensed and off to a great start in the business.
Why We’re Needed
Younger Americans – the demographic most affected by the recent Global War on Terror and who have taken the most casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan – have also been hit hard by the decline in employment. Underemployment is rampant among the 25 to 35 year old age group. And it’s especially tough to find work in the civilian sector with one or more disabilities our wounded warriors have incurred, whether in battle or via accident in any number of hazardous military occupational specialties.
As of 2013, there were some 3.2 million disabled American veterans – 15 percent of our total veteran population, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As a recent article in the Washington Post noted, the unemployment rate among recent veterans is “incredibly high:” 10 percent among post September 11th, 2001 veterans. That’s significantly higher than the unemployment rate of non-veterans and pre War on Terror veterans. Today, there are almost a quarter million of these young men and women who find themselves out of work.
The unemployment rate among disabled post-9/11 era veterans is even higher: 12 percent, or nearly double the national average.
Meanwhile, most of the wounded come from the enlisted ranks, largely in combat arms specialties like infantry, artillery, armor the combat engineers – which have little direct application, in terms of the direct marketability of mechanical or technical skills. But generation after generation of American combat veterans do bring something to the table that is immeasurably important: Their interpersonal skills when the chips are down are without parallel.
America’s veterans have a long track record of bringing value to American employers – when given a chance:
- They are trainable
- They are accustomed to technology
- They can use and maintain systems
- Their interpersonal skills are outstanding – they can communicate effectively with people from all walks of life
- They generally have wisdom and maturity beyond their years
- Many are proven leaders and managers, even at relatively young ages
- They learn the value of initiative early in life. They don’t need to be micromanaged.
What We Do
We work closely with the Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Service of the Department of Veterans Affairs to identify qualified and veterans with disabilities who have an interest in insurance. We have developed an innovative training program designed to help veterans master the basics of insurance and salesmanship and get licensed. Once a veteran has completed our training program, they are offered employment with Disabled Veterans Insurance Careers, or we will help them find a position elsewhere in the industry. These veterans then go out into the field and help independent agencies cross sell, upsell and find new customers and generate revenue for their employers.
Our offices are in Fort Myers, Florida, but veterans may complete the training program from anywhere in the world. Indeed, two of our program graduates did just that – they completed the program while working with Hub International in Chicago. You can view our profile of the first four veteran program graduates as well as our overall program here.
So far, we have had four disabled veterans complete our program and accept employment in the insurance industry. Our prototype is established, and our systems are in place. We have a viable and scalable model. We’ve done the advance work. Now we want to expand our operation to reach out to dozens more disabled American veterans – and provide our supporters with trained, mature and motivated insurance professionals.
At DVIC, we are working to make sure that no man or woman is left behind. I’m asking you to help us do the same, with whatever resources you can spare. To learn more about how you can get involved and become a financial supporter of Disabled Veterans Insurance Careers, visit our website at www.dvic.us, or contact us at (239) 433-8523.
We welcome and appreciate your support.
AgencyEquity Proudly Supports the Disabled Veterans Insurance Careers
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