Seagate joined forces with the U.S. Army to help soldiers prepare for a successful career after finishing their military service through the Partnership for Youth Success program, or PaYS.
The PaYS program allows soldiers to serve in the Army and guarantees them an interview with partner companies. Those interview opportunities are often with senior human resource personnel, giving the soldier an advantage over other applicants, according to the website. However, the program does not guarantee the soldier a job.
When a person signs up for the Army, that individual can select to be part of the PaYS program as part of their enlistment package, according to the website. With the help of a recruiter, the soldier can choose a Military Occupational Speciality from a list of PaYS partners. After the soldier’s service is complete, the program connects the individual with the PaYS partner and helps to schedule an interview.
While serving, the soldier learns new skills in the field to prepare them for a career in the private industry.
Brigadier General and Deputy of Operations JD for Space Command Matthew Zellner said one of the reasons people enlist in the Army is to learn a skill. He mentioned serveral examples of skills including flying satalites that are only taught in the military. To Zellner, the folks looking to learn these types of skills and apply them in the military or in the private sector are warriors.
“A warrior isn’t necessarily an Army Ranger, it isn’t always Army Special Forces, it can be a cyber-warrior, they are on the front lines today … The Army will take in the men and women of America and provide them with a framework in which to learn a skill and I hope that within a couple of years down the road, when the soldiers decide to leave the Army, they look to interview with companies like Seagate Technologies,” Zellner said.
Last week, Seagate joined over 800 other companies “committed to enhancing the lives of those who have served our country through continued career development,” according to a news release from Seagate.
“This is Seagate’s opportunity to show our extreme gratitude and commitment to military veterans while offering professional and technical skills, experience, and strong career path to enhance their professional growth,” said Dave Mosley, CEO of Seagate Technology, in the news release. “In return, the PaYS program provides Seagate with a pool of highly-skilled, motivated, and responsible candidates to fill our personnel needs.”
During the signing ceremony, Mosley said teamwork was vital to the company’s success but is learning that it is a skill that can be hard to find and not easily taught. Joining the Army through the program creates an opportunity to meet individuals with these skills in place.
“You can teach technical skills. You can buy technical skills. But teamwork is something you have to work on all the time. To have the opportunity to be introduced to individuals who come out of the U.S. Army who have the ability to move around organizations, through different kinds of challenges and work together as a team, form teams fast, form networks well, it is a fantastic opportunity for us,” Mosley said.
Seagate’s Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer Patricia Cross served in the U.S. Army, earning the title of Major General retired. During the ceremony she was excited to bridge the two careers that made a significant impact on her life.
“This a wonderful day to have this partnership, that we are looking at the youth of America. We are going to give them an opportunity to know what it is to transition into a corporation … I thank you for helping us bring diversity, diversity of thought, diversity of experience, networking, partnerships and teamwork, that is something we learn from day one in the Army,” Cross said.
Mosley and Zellner signed the official document to end the ceremony, marking the moment that U.S. Army soldiers have a guaranteed chance to interview at a Longmont company and potentially growing a career with Seagate.
