Task Force to launch job initiative

Task Force to launch job initiative

On Nov, 9, The American Legion's Business Task Force and a group of its corporate partners will convene at Post 1 in Washington to launch a national Jobs Growth Initiative for veteran small businesses. The event will bring together veteran-owned public sector contractors, both large and small, to discuss ways to utilize the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. Their focus will also be on planning the future of the Jobs Growth Initiative, which hopes to produce measures and strategies for inducing veteran job growth and increasing the veteran presence in the entrepreneurial world.

Task Force Members Billy Jenkins, Bob Long and Walter Cotton have been instrumental in coordinating the initiative, which has the Legion's backing.

"To produce sustainable veteran job growth, we must assist veteran-owned businesses in the pursuit of contracting opportunities as well as equip them with the skills needed to succeed in today's competitive environment," said Cotton, event organizer and accomplished veteran entrepreneur.

The initiative is particularly noteworthy because it teams public- and private-sector contractors, both large and small, to find measures for stimulating job growth for veterans and veteran presence in the small business world. The group also plans to take full advantage of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. A measure that some have regarded as the most significant piece of small businesses legislation in more than a decade, the new law provides critical resources to small business in hopes of stimulating the economy and creating jobs.

Chartered in 2006, The American Legion's Business Task Force is composed of accomplished and esteemed veteran business owners and entrepreneurs. The group's main mission is to gather information, data and research regarding the current and future economic status of veteran businesses. Task Force members report on their findings and make recommendations based on them to Legion leadership.