300,000 Veterans to Get “Key to Career Success” Employment Information Cards From U.S. Labor Department

Department Also Announces New Web Tool for Wounded and Injured Veterans

WASHINGTON—Approximately 300,000 wallet-sized cards and key fobs with critical employment and job training information will be distributed to military personnel and veterans over the next six months, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced today at its annual pre-Veterans Day salute. The department also unveiled the elaws Recovery and Employment Assistance Lifelines (REALifelines) Advisor. This new online tool will provide valuable information and resources to help returning wounded and injured veterans successfully transition into civilian employment.

“The ‘Key To Career Success’ cards and REALifelines online advisor are part of our outreach efforts to help veterans and returning soldiers access good job opportunities and develop new career pathways,” said Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao. “Our servicemen and women have put themselves in harm’s way to protect our homeland and help other countries achieve freedom and democracy. We want to do everything we can to welcome them home and facilitate their reintegration into civilian life.”

The “Key to Career Success” card will be attached to a brochure for demobilizing and transitioning service members as they go through the joint DOL, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program. For veterans who have already made the transition, there will be additional information and professional staff guidance available at the nearly 3,500 One-Stop Career Centers nationwide.

The card will help veterans access local One-Stop Career Center services connecting them to employers seeking men and women with the unique skill sets and experience characterized by military service. It will also highlight veterans’ special status so that, upon arrival at One-Stop Career Centers, they will receive priority service as required under the Jobs for Veterans Act. The back of the “Key to Career Success” card and key fob features a toll-free phone number, 1-877-US2-JOBS (TTY: 1-877-889-5627), and Web link, www.servicelocator.org, to help veterans speak with a service representative or locate the nearest One-Stop Career Center and download a map and driving directions.

A key feature of the REALifelines Advisor is that it offers one-on-one assistance through the department’s state directors for DOL’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. These directors will help the transitioning service member or veteran find meaningful employment through the One-Stop Career Centers and/or arrange for assistance to help determine what services and programs are best suited for them.

The REALifelines Advisor is one of a series of online tools called elaws (Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses), which are interactive Web sites providing information about major federal employment laws and issues. The REALifelines Advisor can be found at www.dol.gov/elaws/realifelines.htm.

Contact Information

Mike Biddle

U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)

Contact via E-mail