On Wednesday, Starbucks announced a five year plan to hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses. The company’s chief executive, Howard Schultz, also said that 5 Starbucks stores will soon be opening on or near military bases. Robert Gates, a Starbucks board of directors member and former Defense Secretary, reported to CNN: “We know that many men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan have had a difficult time finding career-fulfilling kinds of positions. Over the next five years another million men and women will come out of the military and enter civilian life.”
Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have an unemployment rate of 10.1%, and many find it difficult to transition from military work to a civilian job. However, Gates commented that while it “does require a little bit of effort” to work your way back into the civilian job market, veterans can provide “extraordinary skills” and have great leadership experience. Companies like UPS, JPMorgan and Walmart have also vowed to hire more veterans.
Employment is not the only thing veterans can get from Starbucks though. Schultz announced that on Veteran’s Day, all veterans and their spouses will receive a free tall brewed coffee. Schultz called it “a small gesture” of appreciation.
