In This Article:
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / April 21, 2025 / Las Vegas Sands:
After participating in the Hiring Our Heroes program at corporate headquarters this past year, Sands hired its first program fellow in early 2025.
Chase Jackson recently completed his service in the U.S. Air Force as a Technical Sergeant, Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) journeyman/Joint Terminal Attack Controller instructor and was matched with Sands as an HOH fellow last fall. He joined the company as a cybersecurity analyst at the culmination of his fellowship in January.
It's no coincidence that Sands' first HOH hire was in cybersecurity. The company was introduced to the program by Doug Medley, director of Cybersecurity, who also participated in HOH.
"HOH was one of many Department of Defense SkillBridge opportunities presented to me during my Transition Assistance Program briefings," Medley said. "As an HOH alum, I felt it was important to add a pathway for separating service members to work in positions not associated with the government. Since I saw first-hand the win-win situation the program offers, it only made sense to bring it to Sands."
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's HOH program is offered to military service members, veterans, and military spouses. Launched in 2011, Hiring Our Heroes connects the military community with American businesses to spur economic opportunity and a strong, diversified workforce. The program aims to create meaningful employment opportunities through hiring events, digital programs, upskilling opportunities and fellowships.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation connects participating host employers to its rich pipeline of military talent for a 12-week fellowship. Candidates are carefully matched with participating companies based on their specific skills and company needs. Once fellows are assigned to a host company, they undergo exclusive on-the-job training and are able to gain work experience in the private sector. This real-world training is augmented by weekly educational sessions held for the HOH cohort working in various company assignments.
"The host company gets access to a large group of professionals with a wide variety of skillsets and experience levels to grow and sustain their team," Medley said. "They also get to know a candidate and determine suitability for a role without all the costs associated with hiring a team member or paid intern. Service members get to learn about a company while still receiving their military pay and benefits. This allows them more flexibility and opportunities to find a job that is the right fit for them."