MARYLAND - Maryland State Police will become the newest partner of the U.S. Army's Youth Success Program on Thursday.
The program helps connect soldiers to jobs within the private sector. Operation We Care Founder Jeff Merritt says this is a great way to ease the transition of military to civilian life.
"Veterans bring a lot to the table. A little higher level of work ethic maybe, a higher discipline, and a lot of skills they learn in the military are useful in the private sectors," Merritt said.
The PaYS program guarantees soldiers an interview with state police and possible employment. Merritt says law enforcement is always looking for qualified candidates, but this opportunity will put military personnel one step ahead.
"Everybody needs good people and if a veteran has had military police experience, again that brings an extra skill to the table. There's not a lot of retraining they might have to go through because they already have those skills necessary," Merritt said.
National Guard Recruiter Annessa McFarland says it's a win-win situation for both agencies, and for the soldiers that are serving part time.
"While they wait in the process to become 21 to be state police, they're already well trained in multiple aspects to do their jobs as state police," McFarland said.
Since the PaYS program was created back in 2000, more than 800 employers have partnered with the program, including Salisbury Police Department.
