For the men and women that serve our country, coming back from that life isn’t easy. I don’t have experience with it, but do know many veterans who are going through that.
Today, Google launched a new initiative called VetNet to help people connect and re-enter the working life. The company is putting its social backend, Google+, to work on this project.
We recently went to the “Vets In Tech” hackathon, where we met some amazing folks who are trying to build great things outside of military life. This new initiative is a fantastic addition to the cause.
Here’s what the company had to say about it today:
We’ve put the powers of Google+ behind a single hub called VetNet. Today, VetNet launches as a partnership with three founding organizations: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes program, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) and Hire Heroes USA. In the long run, other organizations will be able to offer their services to the veteran community, all in the same easy-to-use place.
Why is this important? For many reasons. First off, Google is huge and can move mountains for just about any cause or situation. Yes, it’s a corporation that makes money. Yes you might think they’re “evil,” but, well, they’re not. This is just yet another example of the social spine of Google breaking out into other verticals. Basically, it’s not going away because it’s successful. Regardless of what you might think or have heard on Mashable tech blogs.
By connecting vets with actual helpful resources for employment and support, Google is doing something great here. Will folks in the military gravitate to it? Will it be too “geeky”? That’s the question we have to wait to answer. Until then, it’s worth a look.
I’ll be connecting with the VetNet group to see how the initiative is going, so if you have questions for them, please pop them in the comments.
[Photo credit: Flickr]
Google provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and monetize the world’s information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers a plethora of online tools and platforms including: Gmail, Maps, YouTube, and Google+, the company’s extension into the social space. Most of its Web-based products are free, funded by Google’s highly integrated online advertising platforms AdWords and AdSense. Google promotes the idea that advertising should be highly targeted and relevant to users thus providing...
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