OrlandoJobs.com partners with the Camaraderie Foundation, Fifth Third Bank and the Orlando Predators to help Veterans Transition into the Workforce.

 

FROM THE BATTLEFIELD TO THE CLASSIFIEDS

Local Businesses Announce Collaboration to Help Veterans Transition into the Workforce

 

Pictures from the press conference

 

Orlando, Fla. (November 9, 2012) – Fifth Third Bank (Central Florida), in partnership with the Orlando Predators and OrlandoJobs.com, recently announced a collaborative sponsorship of the Mentor Leadership Program, an initiative to prepare veterans as they transition into the workforce post-deployment. From résumé writing and interview skills to money management and networking, this program pairs service members with business leaders who have military background for mentoring and professional development, with the ultimate goal of securing gainful employment.

“These brave men and women put their lives on the line to protect our freedom. Fifth Third Bank is proud to support them when they come home through the $10,000 matching fundraiser we’re offering in all of our banking centers and this Mentor Leadership Program,” said Reagan Rick, president of Fifth Third Bank (Central and North Florida). “I can only imagine how difficult it must be to go from the battlefield – living and breathing ‘chain of command’ and taking orders – to the boardroom. Our service members need our help to ensure they are prepared emotionally and professionally to find a job to suit their skillsets.”

 

The Mentor Leadership Program will be administered through the Camaraderie Foundation, a local nonprofit that provides private counseling and support services to military veterans and their families. Local businesses have stepped up to champion the effort that will impact hundreds of service members in Central Florida who need employment and other support services. Fifth Third Bank will manage financial counseling workshops for participants and offer a matching fundraiser in all banking centers throughout its five-county area. Doug Plank, the new head coach for the Orlando Predators, is also leading the cause and encouraging business leaders to get involved.

 

“I can’t think of a better way to thank someone who has sacrificed so much – potentially everything – than by giving that person and their family the support they need,” said Plank. “The Orlando Predators are known for fighting hard, and we’re proud to be able to fight for those who have fought for us.”

 

In addition to the overall economic problem, veterans participating in a recent employment survey said the biggest challenge they face in finding a job is explaining how their military experience translates into civilian employment.

 

“About 80 percent of military job titles have a direct translation into the general workforce,” said Scott Kotroba, co-founder of OrlandoJobs.com. “Part of this is an education for the civilian population.”

To get involved as a veteran mentor or mentee, contact OrlandoJobs.com at 407-645-4224.

 To make a donation to the Camaraderie Foundation to assist with funding the Mentor Leadership Program and other support services, visit a local Fifth Third Bank where donations will be matched, up to $10,000 cumulatively, through Dec. 15.

 ____________

 

About Fifth Third Bank

Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.  The Company has $117 billion in assets and operates 15 affiliates with 1,320 full-service Banking Centers, including 104 Bank Mart^® locations open seven days a week inside select grocery stores and 2,404 ATMs in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Georgia and North Carolina. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending, and Investment Advisors. Fifth Third also has a 39% interest in Vantiv Holding, LLC. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of September 30, 2012, had $300 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $26 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ^® National Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.”  Fifth Third Bank.  Member FDIC.   

 

About The Camaraderie Foundation

The Camaraderie Foundation is an Orlando-based 501(c)(3) organization that provides private counseling, spiritual comfort and emotional support to military service members and their families. Founded in 2009, Camaraderie believes that having the option of affordable private counseling can encourage service members to seek help. To learn more, visit www.CamaraderieFoundation.com, “like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @SupportCAM.

 

About OrlandoJobs.com

OrlandoJobs.com is the official employment website of the Central Florida Human Resource Association (www.cfhra.org). At OrlandoJobs.com, we combine community marketing with the internet to bring candidates and employers together. Our success over the years is our ability to understand the value of human capital to a company’s bottom line and the challenges involved in the recruiting of individuals to meet these needs. An industry leader, OrlandoJobs.com publishes a bi-annual employment outlook study for the Central Florida region.