Walmart has made more than 4,800 veteran hires in Illinois

Walmart said this week that it has hired more than 4,800 veterans in Illinois since introducing its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment in May 2013.

The commitment guarantees a job offer to any eligible, honorably discharged U.S. veteran. With a goal to hire 250,000 veterans nationwide by the end of 2020, Walmart has since hired more than 170,000 veterans nationwide, and more than 22,000 have been promoted to jobs of greater responsibility.

“At Walmart, we have seen firsthand that veterans and active service members bring tremendous skills, like leadership, attention to detail and conscientiousness, to their civilian jobs,” said Retired Brigadier General, Gary Profit, senior director of military programs for Walmart. “We are proud to salute these individuals during all stages of service – from making a decision to enlist in the armed forces to when they return home.”

Walmart’s Military Family Promise guarantees a job at a nearby store or Sam’s Club for all military personnel and military spouses employed by Walmart and Sam’s Club who move to a different part of the country because they or their spouse have been transferred by the United States military. Walmart also participates in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes Program, recruiting tens of thousands of veterans through career fairs.

To commemorate Memorial Day and support military families who have made the ultimate sacrifice, Walmart is giving a $100,000 grant to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), a national organization that offers help, hope and healing to all those grieving the death of a loved one serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. This grant will support the TAPS Casework and Emergency Assistance Program for survivors in need.

— From the Illinois Business Journal