US Army and GlobalFoundries joining forces

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Two Vermont organizations are joining forces to give veterans and those in the armed forces a chance to further their career paths outside of the military.

“We’re starting it now, but we believe it’s going to really carry through to the future,” John Lafreniere, Deputy Director of Engineering Operations at GlobalFoundries said.

Essex junction based GlobalFoundries and the Vermont Army National Guard have established the Partnership for Your Success program (PaYS).

It allows soldiers to cultivate relationships with businesses and encourages business owners to look to the army as a recruiting source.

Through this collaboration, Lafreniere says reliable soldiers can prepare for a career after the army.

“They understand leadership, they understand the communication to do that job,” he said. “They’re also bringing a set of technical skills with them or work related skills. But they’re bringing those soft skills that make them good employees for us.”\

The program began nationally in 2000 and more than 1100 employers have signed on. Amid a shortage of semiconductor chips throughout the country, and an influx of open positions at GlobalFoundries, prospective employees need to fill a number of roles.

“The technical work that is required to make chips is a very dynamic skill set that they will learn,” Lafreniere said. “If there’s a leadership job or a managerial job they could fit in those. It really gives them the ability to learn and apply for many different opportunities.”

For those in Vermont’s Army National Guard, once their training is complete, the door is open for them to return to Vermont’s workforce, while serving the guard at the same time.

Adjutant General Gregory Knight says giving soldiers the chance to explore their interests is key to addressing workforce shortages, and retaining guard members.

“Anybody who can have a sense of security knowing that they have the potential or actually get a well paying stable job is significant,” Maj. Gen. Knight said. “Being in the guard is hard, I will tell anybody that. It is not convenient. So the benefit of this program is our opportunity to create opportunities in line with their guard service.”

The PaYS [program says partner companies with roughly 500 employees are ideal, and smaller companies or agencies are considered as well.

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