Mike Lipper Group

Georgia Army National Guard Lt. Col. Mike Lipper takes notes during the Military & Veterans Education and Resource Summit held Thursday at Chattahoochee Technical College’s North Metro Campus in Acworth.

Press release

 

Chattahoochee Technical College, with the assistance of more than 20 supporting agencies, hosted an education and resource summit Thursday at its North Metro Campus in Acworth to educate veterans and military members on how to transition from combat boots to loafers.

More than 100 guardsmen and reservists from the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines, as well as CTC’s current student enrollment of veterans and other veterans residing in the area, attended the event to gain insight into resume building, networking opportunities and how to acclimate to the civilian environment.

“Veterans come with extraordinary skills, but these skills don’t always translate to the civilian sector. Chattahoochee Technical College has put their money where their mouth is when it comes to supporting veterans,” said retired U.S. Air Force Col. Patricia Ross, military affairs director for the Technical College System of Georgia. “There is a huge need to help our veterans get back to work.”

Retired Maj. Gen. Maria Britt, Kennesaw State University’s associate vice president for operations, served as the guest speaker during the event. She explained how every veteran has a unique story to tell and encouraged transitioning military members to lead themselves down a path to success.

“Find purpose in your life because if you don’t have a passion for the job you are doing, you won’t be any good at it,” Britt said. “Talk to others who have transitioned and begin planning for your future. You have to start early.”

Georgia Army National Guard Lt. Col. Mike Lipper, who attended the summit, said when military members come home from deployment, one of the first steps in transitioning is looking for a job or finding a school to attend. The summit brought together resources that exist for the purpose of supporting veterans as well as their family members who may be struggling to adapt to civilian life.

“This was a great event and it’s exciting from our perspective because we have soldiers who are coming home, wanting to go to school and get jobs. This was an excellent combination of resources,” Lipper said. “We now have a list of new resources that we can provide to our soldiers.”

A partial list of vendors included Chattahoochee Technical College Human Resources Department, Georgia Vocational Rehab Agency, Georgia Department of Labor, Cobb Works, Technical College System of Georgia Office of Military Affairs, NCESGR/Emory Veterans Outreach, Marietta Veteran Center, Workforce Investment Opportunities Act, Office of Adult Mental Health and Kennesaw State University.