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Vet Connect Employer Coalition (VCEC)

The degree of success of each individual Veteran upon their separation from active duty in re-acclimating to civilian life is a direct reflection of the collective value placed on them and their experience by our entire community.

The ABQ Vet Connect Employer Coalition’s model begins with a deep-dive introduction to military culture, core values, structure, and history. Through AHCC’s membership, establishing employer champions and mentoring opportunities are then cultivated while collaborating with local veteran support organizations.

Located in the Barelas Economic Opportunity Center (BEOC) of the AHCC Campus, ABQ VCEC will provide a localized digital platform backed by on-the-ground support to educate, resource and empower employers in a customized approach to veteran hiring, retention and promotion.
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With a focus on building a community around holistic skillsets with emphasis on interpreting workplace communication and values, versus the traditional emphasis on matching areas of expertise, VCEC will be able to work on closing the veteran retention gap in Albuquerque, and eventually the entire state of New Mexico, as IVMF’s best practices have proven in thirteen other communities nationwide.

Bringing the ABQ VCEC to reality here in New Mexico addresses a growing national need and perception among veterans that community providers and employers are unresponsive, disrespectful, and lack understanding of the nuances of military culture.

​For more information please contact:
Tessah Latson, Director, Barelas Economic Opportunity Center Center: tessah@ahcnm.org, 505-842-9003

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• Nationally, 60% of veterans leave their first civilian job after 24 months.

• Top reasons include: unhappy with the job, just don’t fit in, and/or would like to work with likeminded people. 

• Nearly half reported that getting socialized to civilian culture is a major transitional challenge. 

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Thanks to our Funder

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Our Partners