The Exchange rolls out retail management program for vets
The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is helping veterans in the workforce reconnect with their military family through a special retail management training program, reaffirming the Department of Defense retailer’s commitment to hiring those who served.
The Veterans Retail Management Training program introduces Veterans to the business that drives the 122-year-old Exchange benefit. Participants in the immersive program receive two weeks of classroom training at the Exchange’s Dallas headquarters, learning about the organization’s enduring mission to take care of soldiers, airmen and their families.
From Dallas, Veterans are assigned to Exchanges across the United States for on-the-job training in main stores, Expresses, troop stores and Military Clothing stores, working alongside mentors in the field. Trainees who successfully complete the program are offered permanent positions.
The Exchange has offered retail management training for years but only recently developed a program focused solely on recruiting and retaining Veterans — a priority for the organization. Currently, eight Veterans are participating in the program, the second time it has been offered. A third class is planned for June.
“The Exchange is committed to extending career opportunities to our Veterans,” Tom Shull, Exchange director and CEO, said. “We are leaning forward to continue the tradition of welcoming home veterans to our ranks. They are a force multiplier to our efforts to deliver a customer experience authorized shoppers will find nowhere but their Exchange.”
Denise Evans, who served in the Army from 1981 to 1991, is looking forward reconnecting with the military by working at the Exchange. “I wanted to be somewhere I belong, where I can finish out my career,” said Evans, a program participant who is finishing her management training at Fort Belvoir. “The leadership here sees that I still have something to offer.”
Patrick Fatuesi, assistant store manager at the Sheppard Air Force Base Exchange, completed the management program in the fall. He spent 32 years in the Army, retiring as a sergeant major. His Army career, he says, prepared him well for leadership roles. “At the Exchange, you’re going to learn from the ground up — just like the military,” Fatuesi said. “This organization is giving us — veterans — a chance. It’s absolutely phenomenal.”
In 2017, the Exchange hired more than 1,200 veterans worldwide, and 11.5% of the Exchange’s workforce are veterans. In 2018, for the fifth consecutive year, the Exchange was named a Military Friendly Employer by Victory Media.
“The Exchange puts a lot of stock in hiring veterans,” Shull said. “Veterans understand what the Exchange means and what we do for those who serve.”
Hiring veterans and military spouses is one way the Exchange gives back to the military community. The Exchange has hired 1,000 Wounded Warriors since 2010 — second only to the Army.
The Veterans Retail Management Training program introduces Veterans to the business that drives the 122-year-old Exchange benefit. Participants in the immersive program receive two weeks of classroom training at the Exchange’s Dallas headquarters, learning about the organization’s enduring mission to take care of soldiers, airmen and their families.
From Dallas, Veterans are assigned to Exchanges across the United States for on-the-job training in main stores, Expresses, troop stores and Military Clothing stores, working alongside mentors in the field. Trainees who successfully complete the program are offered permanent positions.
The Exchange has offered retail management training for years but only recently developed a program focused solely on recruiting and retaining Veterans — a priority for the organization. Currently, eight Veterans are participating in the program, the second time it has been offered. A third class is planned for June.
“The Exchange is committed to extending career opportunities to our Veterans,” Tom Shull, Exchange director and CEO, said. “We are leaning forward to continue the tradition of welcoming home veterans to our ranks. They are a force multiplier to our efforts to deliver a customer experience authorized shoppers will find nowhere but their Exchange.”
Denise Evans, who served in the Army from 1981 to 1991, is looking forward reconnecting with the military by working at the Exchange. “I wanted to be somewhere I belong, where I can finish out my career,” said Evans, a program participant who is finishing her management training at Fort Belvoir. “The leadership here sees that I still have something to offer.”
Patrick Fatuesi, assistant store manager at the Sheppard Air Force Base Exchange, completed the management program in the fall. He spent 32 years in the Army, retiring as a sergeant major. His Army career, he says, prepared him well for leadership roles. “At the Exchange, you’re going to learn from the ground up — just like the military,” Fatuesi said. “This organization is giving us — veterans — a chance. It’s absolutely phenomenal.”
In 2017, the Exchange hired more than 1,200 veterans worldwide, and 11.5% of the Exchange’s workforce are veterans. In 2018, for the fifth consecutive year, the Exchange was named a Military Friendly Employer by Victory Media.
“The Exchange puts a lot of stock in hiring veterans,” Shull said. “Veterans understand what the Exchange means and what we do for those who serve.”
Hiring veterans and military spouses is one way the Exchange gives back to the military community. The Exchange has hired 1,000 Wounded Warriors since 2010 — second only to the Army.