For Robert “Mac” McMillan, the plant manager at Atlas Manufacturing, the quiet hum of the CNC machines had always been comforting. But by early 2025, it was starting to sound like a thrum of anxiety. A string of retirements and a national shortage of skilled machinists had left Mac with six gaping holes on his shop floor. With production schedules getting tighter and corporate breathing down his neck, he knew he needed a fix, and fast. He needed a plan to fill the immediate gaps and build a real talent pipeline for the future. His usual recruiting methods weren’t turning up anyone viable, so he started seriously considering a different path: a dedicated veteran employment program.
Key Takeaways
- If you’re facing a skilled labor shortage, a structured veteran employment program, backed by federal and state incentives, is a direct way to solve it.
- Good programs use solid onboarding, real mentorship, and skills translation workshops to bridge the gap between military service and the civilian shop floor.
- Partnering with veteran service organizations (VSOs) like Hiring Our Heroes or your local American Legion post is how you get real recruitment reach and support.
- Veterans often stick around longer than non-veteran hires in the first two years, which demonstrates their long-term value to the company.
- Putting money into training veterans can earn you Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) tax credits, potentially saving your business thousands per eligible hire.
The Challenge at Atlas Manufacturing: A Shrinking Talent Pool
Atlas Manufacturing, a mid-sized precision parts supplier just off I-75 in Calhoun, Georgia, was built on the backs of its experienced workforce. Most of their machinists had been with the company for decades, their skills sharpened over thousands of hours on the floor. But as they started hitting retirement age, Mac was staring at a huge problem: the local tech colleges weren’t producing nearly enough graduates to replace them. The kind of skills needed to run advanced multi-axis CNC machines or read complex blueprints don’t just grow on trees. “We posted everywhere online, hit the job fairs, we even dangled signing bonuses,” Mac recalled. “We got résumés, yeah, but almost nobody had the specific aptitude we needed. It felt like shouting into the wind.”
And he wasn’t alone. A 2025 report from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) showed that over 70% of manufacturing companies were having trouble finding people, with a projected shortfall of 2.1 million skilled jobs by 2030 if things didn’t change. Mac knew he had to stop thinking about hiring in the same old way. He remembered a chat he’d had years ago with another manager who’d had luck hiring veterans. The idea, which he’d filed away, suddenly seemed urgent. Could people coming out of the military, with all their discipline and technical training, be the answer to his skilled labor crisis?
Building the Framework: Initial Steps for a Veteran Employment Program
Mac got started by calling the Georgia Department of Labor’s Veterans Services division. He quickly learned about a whole bunch of resources for employers, from vet-specific job fairs to résumé databases of service members getting ready to transition out. One of the first things they told him was to partner up with existing veteran organizations. “Don’t try to reinvent the wheel,” Sarah Chen, a state Veterans Employment Representative, told him. “Groups like Hiring Our Heroes or even the local VFW posts have already built the networks and trust you need.”
So, in the second quarter of 2025, Atlas Manufacturing officially launched its “Veterans to Machinists” initiative. The first goal was simple: hire two veterans in six months and get them properly integrated. Mac knew that just getting them in the door wasn’t the point. Retention was everything. That meant building an onboarding process that understood the unique challenges vets face coming back to civilian life. Their plan had a few key parts:
- Dedicated Mentorship: They paired new veteran hires with seasoned machinists who knew the job and, just as important, the company’s culture.
- Skills Translation Workshops: They worked with local vet support groups to teach their own hiring managers how a military occupational specialty (MOS) translates to a civilian job. For instance, an Army 91E (Allied Trades Specialist) already has a ton of experience in metalworking and fabrication that applies directly to a machinist role.
- Flexible Training: They recognized that some vets might be using the GI Bill for classes or have VA appointments, so they built in some flexibility where they could.
One of the best things Mac found was the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). It’s a federal tax credit for companies that hire people from certain groups, including qualified veterans. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a business can get a credit of between $2,400 and $9,600 for every eligible vet they hire, depending on a few factors. That tax credit got the CFO’s attention, giving Atlas a tangible return on investment that went far beyond just getting another body on the floor.
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The First Success Story: Sergeant Miller’s Transition
The first hire through the new program was David Miller, a former Marine Sergeant. At 28, Miller had done two tours as an aviation hydraulics mechanic, giving him a great mechanical mind and a serious focus on detail. But his background was all in aircraft systems, not industrial CNC machines. Mac’s team saw that while the tools were different, Miller’s core skills, diagnostics, precision, and following strict protocols, were exactly what they were looking for.
Miller spent his first few weeks in a mix of classroom training on CNC basics and on-the-job shadowing with a senior machinist named Frank Davis. Frank, a Vietnam-era vet himself, became a great mentor. “Frank got it,” Miller said. “He didn’t just show me how to run the Haas VF-3. He taught me the ‘Atlas way’ and how to get along on the shop floor. That made all the difference.” Frank saw the potential right away. “David’s a quick study,” he said. “He has that military discipline, always early, always asking the right questions. You can’t teach that kind of work ethic.”
Those skills translation workshops paid off big time when they were hiring Miller. The HR team, at first unsure about his lack of direct CNC experience, finally understood how his military training in troubleshooting complex hydraulic systems was a direct parallel to the demands of a machinist. That internal education was just as important as the external recruiting. It changed the company’s mindset from hunting for perfect résumé matches to identifying people with transferable skills and high potential.
Expanding the Program: Industry Support and Broader Impact
Within six months, Sergeant Miller wasn’t just running several CNC machines. He was using his systematic problem-solving to help improve processes on the floor. His success gave Mac the confidence to expand the program. Atlas then teamed up with the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) at Georgia Tech to develop more formal in-house training modules specifically for veterans. GaMEP also connected Atlas with other manufacturers in the area, like the carpet mills in Dalton or the auto suppliers near West Point, who were trying similar things. This let them share what was working and even pool their money for veteran outreach events.
The program did more than just fill jobs. Mac saw a real, positive change in the shop’s culture. The veterans brought a sense of teamwork, punctuality, and a proactive mindset that rubbed off on people. “They make everyone around them better,” Mac said. “You’re bringing in people who are committed to the mission, whatever that mission is.”
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. One of the first hires really struggled with the less-structured civilian work world after coming from the military. From that, Mac learned that clear expectations, consistent feedback, and access to mental health resources (often through partnerships with the local VA or groups like the Wounded Warrior Project) were just as important as the technical training. Hiring them is only the first step. You have to support the whole person. This led Atlas to create a mandatory 90-day “check-in” system for all veteran hires to make sure they had a way to talk about any problems they were having.
Lessons Learned: Sustaining a Successful Veteran Employment Program
By the end of 2026, Atlas had hired and kept five veterans, filling almost all of its open machinist jobs. Production was back on schedule, and quality control numbers had even ticked up slightly. Mac’s initial anxiety was gone, replaced by a quiet confidence. The veteran program, once just a hopeful idea, was now a core part of Atlas’s talent strategy.
For other companies out there with the same labor problems, Mac has a few key pieces of advice. First, leadership has to be all-in. If they’re not, the whole thing will fall apart. Second, build solid partnerships with veteran service organizations and state agencies, because they’re an indispensable resource. Third, invest in good onboarding and mentorship, since the transition from the military to a civilian job is a big one and those support systems are what make it work long-term. And finally, learn to look past direct experience and see the transferable skills and character traits. Veterans bring discipline and problem-solving abilities that you just can’t teach.
What happened at Atlas shows that a dedicated veteran employment program isn’t charity. It’s a smart business move that delivers skilled workers, a better culture, and a financial return. The vets get good jobs, and the company gets dedicated, capable employees.
What are the main benefits for a company that hires veterans?
You get a disciplined, skilled, and motivated workforce. Vets bring leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills from day one. On top of that, your business can qualify for federal tax credits like the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) and build a great reputation in the community.
How can a business actually recruit veterans effectively?
To do it right, you need to partner with veteran service organizations (VSOs) like Hiring Our Heroes or local American Legion posts. Go to veteran-specific job fairs, use the resources at your state’s Department of Labor, and make sure your job descriptions clearly explain how military skills apply to the role.
What are some common challenges for veterans entering the civilian workforce?
Veterans can have a tough time translating their military experience onto a civilian résumé, adjusting to a less-structured work culture, and sometimes dealing with post-service health issues. As an employer, you can help by providing good mentors, setting clear expectations, and offering access to support resources.
Are there government incentives for hiring vets?
Yes. The big one is the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) which can give you tax credits up to $9,600 per eligible veteran you hire. Some states have their own incentives too, like giving preferential treatment on state contracts to businesses that employ veterans.
What’s a “skills translation workshop” and why does it matter?
These are workshops that teach your HR people and hiring managers how a specific military job (like an MOS) matches up with the skills needed for a civilian job. They matter because they help you see the value in a veteran’s training, so you don’t accidentally pass over a great candidate just because their résumé uses unfamiliar terms.
