WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, NS2 Serves (www.ns2serves.org) was recognized at a White House Joining Forces Employment Announcement event for its pledge to train and place 400 veterans in careers by 2021. The ceremony, hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, honored NS2 Serves as one of 40 companies and organizations pledging to train or hire veterans and military spouses over the next five years.
This announcement is part of the ongoing Joining Forces initiative (www.joiningforces.gov), which, over the past five years, has worked hand-in-hand with the private sector to expand employment and career development opportunities for veterans and military spouses. By bringing attention to the unique experiences and strengths of service members, the program has helped train and employ more than 1.2 million veterans and spouses.
“Our veterans and military spouses are some of the most dedicated, skilled, talented people in this country,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “We can serve them as well as they have served this country."
Dr. Biden added, “We talk about how we can salute our service members and how to thank them for their service. This is it. It’s about giving our veterans the opportunity they have earned.”
NS2 Serves trains hard-to-employ veterans and places them in careers. The 3-month in-residence program trains participants in SAP software solutions that support a variety of U.S. government and business missions. In addition to the high-tech training, participants receive guidance on communication and other soft business skills and placement assistance. Upon graduation students earn “Certified SAP Associate” status – a globally recognized and highly sought after certification in the I.T. industry. The program has a 100 percent graduation and job placement rate with an average starting salary of $60,000.
“Like all military units, our veteran students work together to tackle the studies, tasks and challenges presented to them to earn a career in IT consultancy,” said Mark Testoni, President of NS2 Serves and CEO of SAP NS2, and a 20-year veteran of the US Air Force. “Our program is uniquely effective because it tackles two problems at once – providing transitioning veterans with a marketable skill set, while filling the void for highly qualified, team and goal focused professionals for the national security community—a helping hand also helping our country.”
Clarissa Bruce, a graduate of the NS2 program, attended today’s event. Like many others, Clarissa experienced difficulty in making the transition from military to civilian life. She decided to enroll in NS2 Serves and, following her graduation, she gained employment with SAP NS2 where she now enjoys a successful career as a Senior Consultant delivering top-tier expertise to database administrators throughout multiple federal agencies and offering timely resolution of complex production issues.
About NS2 Serves™
NS2 Serves™ is an independent, nonprofit organization established by SAP National Security Services, Inc. (SAP NS2®) to give back to the community it serves – the people of the U.S. national security community. NS2 Serves offers valuable training and employment assistance to recent veterans who have served our country’s national security needs. Full-time, paid participants are trained in world-class software solutions that support U.S. national security, leading to certifications that are valuable in many career paths in the U.S. and worldwide. Further details on the program and instructions on how to apply for the next round of the program are at www.NS2Serves.org.