Disney’s Heroes Work Here program launched in 2012 with a commitment to provide jobs for at least 1,000 veterans by 2015, a goal which it exceeded within its first year. Now, six years later, in addition to the more than 10,000 veterans who have joined The Walt Disney Company through the companywide initiative, Disney has also enabled thousands more to embark upon careers with other companies as a result of its free Veterans Institute workshops, which bring together experts to discuss best practices and techniques in the hiring, onboarding and retention of veterans and military spouses. The sixth Disney Veterans Institute—presented by The Walt Disney Company and USAA—was held at The George W. Bush Institute in Dallas, Texas, on September 18, and continues the Company’s proud legacy of support for the U.S. Armed Forces.
Expanding upon Veterans Institutes in Orlando, San Antonio, Detroit, Chicago and Washington, D.C., the Dallas event featured panels and speakers who touched upon a wide range of topics that included transitioning from military to civilian workforce, creating career opportunities for military spouses and translating military experience to business needs. The Veterans Institutes present tools and resources for employers that they can reference and use as they establish their own internal military hiring and development programs.
“We are proud to have hired 10,000 veterans through the Heroes Work Here program, and to continue opening doors for servicemen and women elsewhere by helping other companies enhance their ability to recruit, hire and retain veterans and their families,” says Kevin Preston, director of Veterans Initiatives for The Walt Disney Company.
Disney’s ongoing commitment to veterans and their families extends far beyond employment. The Company’s philanthropic support of veteran and military organizations has exceeded $20 million in funding and media support since the launch of Heroes Work Here, and, through the Disney VoluntEARS program, employees have engaged in several service projects with veterans’ organizations in communities around the country.
To learn more about the Heroes Work Here initiative, as well as access learning and development tools designed to help veterans transition into the civilian workforce, visit DisneyCareers.com/HeroesWorkHere.