Northwest Indiana veterans are being connected with job opportunities, thanks to federal investment and support from elected officials. James Rodriguez is the U.S. Department of Labor’s Assistant Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS). He joined U.S. Representative Frank Mrvan in Lake County on Monday — including stops at American Job Center locations in Hammond and Gary, the Central Midwest Carpenters Union in Merrillville and Operation Charlie Bravo in Crown Point.
Rodriguez says many places in the country are making sure veterans are included in new jobs created by the American Rescue Plan and the CHIPS and Science Act. "Indiana is doing the exact same thing, and I spoke with the mayor of Gary, Indiana. He was talking about the revitalization of the city and what he wanted to do in partnership with the governor, in partnership with Congress, and we want to be part of that solution," Rodriguez told Lakeshore Public Media on Thursday.
That also involves making sure veterans are aware of these opportunities.
Rodriguez said two veterans he talked to at the Carpenters Union discussed their career pathways. "And they talked about having a career as a carpenter, working in the trades because of the work that had been brought to the state, and they felt like they have the opportunity to work in the state for a long period of time and not have to worry about moving from job to job to job because of the investments that the state has made," Rodriguez said.
But he said the most meaningful part of the tour was a meeting with Sherman, a veteran who'd served in the Marines in the 1980s. "He had been living at a train station for a year as a homeless veteran and was able to obtain housing, obtain medical and mental health care, and then, our team . . . was able to work with him to try to secure employment," Rodriguez explained.
He noted that one big area of concern for the VETS program is Black veteran unemployment. "Our Black veterans have a disproportionately higher unemployment rate, and they also are disproportionately homeless, as well," Rodriguez said.
He said the unemployment rate is higher for Black veterans than for all veterans.* The VETS program is working to address that disparity with its Black Veterans Research Project and adding resources to under-served communities.
Rodriguez also credits Rep. Mrvan for taking time to listen to veterans and address their issues during Congressional hearings.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story stated that the unemployment rate for Black veterans is 12 percent. This is incorrect. The U.S. Department of Labor told Lakeshore News in an email, "According to our research team, the unemployment number for Black veterans was 3.3% in 2023, not 12%."
