Florence, KY – Legion Logistics, one of the region’s fastest-growing companies, announced today that they are starting a new veteran’s initiative aimed at preparing returning servicemen and women to enter the civilian workforce.
Legion’s Veteran Externship, a three-month workforce development program, will provide veterans and current Guard and Reserve members with hourly pay, civilian job experience, training in interview skills and resume writing for the civilian world, and professional development aimed at translating their vast military experience into terms that recruiters and hiring managers can understand and apply to jobs in the civilian world. Participants will rotate among the departments at Legion and will be matched with a mentor.
“I know what it was like for me when I left the Army,” said Antony Coutsoftides, CEO of Legion and a service-disabled veteran. “I felt lost, like I’d never be able to find a job that made me feel as satisfied as my time in the military. And no one understood how what I’d done in the Army made me a good team member and leader for their company.”
Since its founding in 2009, Legion has made helping veterans a priority, donating time, money and resources to local veteran causes. Today, nearly 20 percent of the permanent employees at Legion are veterans, and another 5 percent are military spouses or parents. Legion has also had a long commitment to interview every single veteran or military service member who submits an application or resume, and if they aren’t a good fit, pass their information along to partners in the community who focus on finding veterans civilian employment.
“We viewed the Veteran Externship as the natural intersection of our philanthropic commitment to veterans and our own internal desire to provide opportunities for as many military members as we can,” said Coutsoftides. “We really view it as continuing to walk the walk to support veterans.”
Participants in Legion’s Veteran Externship will be connected with local hiring initiatives and supported though the interview process to help them find their permanent employment home in the Tri-State. And of course, any who wish to stay on at Legion will be given preference on open positions at the company.
“Of course we’d love to keep every veteran or service member who joins the program, but we understand this field isn’t for everyone,” said Coutsoftides. “So our goal is to help get them hired someplace else by the time the Externship is done.”
Legion Logistics, LLC is a service-disabled veteran-owned third-party logistics provider (3PL) based in Florence, Kentucky. What all those hyphens don’t tell you is that the Legion is committed to exceptional customer service, fair dealings with trucking companies and an outstanding, veteran-friendly work environment. Founded in 2009, the Legion specializes in full truckload, less-than-truckload, government freight, hazardous materials and produce shipping. Learn more at jointhelegion.com.
For more information about the Veteran Externship, please contact Lacy Starling.
