Focused on a mission of international security, LANL can be a natural fit and next step for veterans and transitioning military personnel. Los Alamos recognizes and values the skills that veterans bring to its workforce and is dedicated to hiring, retaining and supporting veterans.
“On this Veterans Day, I want to especially honor the hundreds of employees who continue defending their country by working at Los Alamos National Laboratory,” says Lab Director Thom Mason. “Our veterans have dedicated their lives to protecting our freedom; it is an honor to celebrate them and their service.”
In honor of Veterans Day (Nov. 11), here’s a look at some of the ways the Laboratory supports veterans and active military members — on Veterans Day and every day.
Number of veterans at LANL surpasses national benchmark
Laboratory-wide, 6.6% of our workforce is made of up veterans. In some directorates, the percentages are even higher: 8.5% in Weapons and 11.1% in Weapons Production.
The U.S. Department of Labor sets a hiring benchmark at 5.6%, meaning 5.6% of all hires should be protected veterans. Protected veterans are defined by the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) as disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, veterans with a campaign badge and veterans with a service medal. (Not all veterans fall within one of these four categories and are not captured in the Lab’s benchmark percentages.)
New veterans’ recruiter amps up hiring efforts
Michelle Mazanec is passionate about advocating for veterans and helping them identify the right roles at LANL for their civilian careers. She has been part of the military world since 1985, when she married her husband. Most recently, she managed the Service Academy Career Conference in Annapolis, Maryland. “I’m thrilled to be the veterans’ recruiter at LANL and I’m honored to attract more veterans to work at the Lab to continue their service to country,” she said.
Supporting veterans through programs
- The Lab participates in Hiring Our Heroes, a 12-week corporate fellowship program that places active duty service members interested in transitioning into management positions in the civilian sector.
- Los Alamos will begin participating in Hiring our Heroes’ DOE SkillBridge Program in January 2022. The program allows transitioning service members to use their last 180 days of service to intern with companies they’re interested in. They get hands-on experience while receiving military pay and benefits. Although no guarantee is made that the veterans will be hired, it is a great opportunity for them to get an inside peek of the company.
- The Lab’s Service Academies and ROTC Research Associates (SARRA) program brings students from the United States Military Academy at West Point, the United States Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy to Los Alamos in the summer.
A group geared toward veterans
LANL’s Veterans Employee Resource Group (ERG) aims to bring awareness to issues important to veterans in the workplace. Recently reinvigorated, it welcomes all veterans (and supporters of veterans).
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