Local veterans are getting a brand new computer lab, thanks to a partnership with AT&T. The Rochester Veterans Outreach Center received $25,000 to upgrade its computer lab and provide curricula that prepare veterans for today’s workforce needs.
Veterans can get certified in Microsoft Office, networking in IT and master other programs they’ll need to be competitive. And all of these programs are offered for free.
“No matter what job you have today you’re going to be using some type of electronic device,” said Kevin Hanna, Director of External Affairs for AT&T. “You’re going to be using technology in some way.”
Hanna is based in Buffalo and said he was the one to recommend the center get the funding. It was a no-brainer for him. In addition to the center having a need for upgrades, AT&T was looking to fund these kinds of initiatives. For the entire year, AT&T has been donating money to center and efforts that help people in the military and their loved ones through their "Thank our Heroes" campaign. So far, they’ve donated $500,000 to 14 initatives around the nation. In addition to these efforts, AT&T says it has hired 10,000 vets and helped fund calling cards so troops can phone home.
“It really is a testament quite honestly to the Veteran Outreach Center, to their reputation,” said Hanna of the center being selected. “They’re a nationally recognized organization.”
The center’s new lab was unveiled Monday and already veterans are using the space. Some of the upgrades include: larger monitors and ergonomic keyboards and mice.
“We’ve also got a number of other things: scanners, printers, projector and screen, some funding for training programs and IT support and all kinds of things that will really update us, modernize us,” said Laura Stradley, director of the Center.
She said the center helps all kinds of vets, including those dishonorably discharged or only in the service for a short time.
“We serve any individual who wore their nation’s uniform,” she said.
And she added that this programming can help veterans stay competitive: “Obviously the landscape in Rochester has shifted quite a bit economically. We’ve gone from a really industrial town with Kodak, and Xerox and Bausch and Lomb to now more of a service industry.”
Stradley explained that many veterans are able to get a job when they return home because some learn technological skills while in service. However, after a couple years they may get left behind as the landscape continues to change quickly. The center, then, would help vets catch up, keep up, and compete with other potential employees- all for free.