State officials are unveiling a new initiative to help Wisconsin companies recruit workers by enabling them to engage with military personnel around the country before they return to civilian life.

The Mission Wisconsin Talent Pipeline is the next phase of the state’s $1.9 million national marketing campaign to encourage transitioning military personnel and their spouses to live and work in Wisconsin once they leave the service, according to a Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. news release. The campaign is a joint effort of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, WEDC, the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, DVA, and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, DWD.

According to the WEDC:

A key component of the campaign involves having a team of state employees and private-sector representatives visit Hiring our Heroes transition summits at military bases throughout the country and at select installations abroad to tout the attributes of Wisconsin. The delegation has visited bases in three states so far and personally interacted with more than 850 service members.

Each business that registers with the new Mission Wisconsin Talent Pipeline initiative will be asked to provide information on its open positions and what skill sets the company is seeking. After each transition summit, the Wisconsin delegation will provide that company with access to vetted résumés for transitioning veterans and their spouses who may be a good match for those openings.

In addition, Mission Wisconsin companies will be invited to join the Wisconsin delegation at the Hiring our Heroes transition summits and host an employer table without having to pay the fees typically associated with hiring fairs.

Companies also will have the opportunity to apply for a corporate fellowship program coordinated by the national Hiring our Heroes program. If accepted, the company would host a 12-week program to provide transitioning service members with professional training and hands-on experience in the civilian workforce.

“In the three months since we launched our campaign to attract transitioning veterans, we have not only talked to hundreds of military personnel interested in learning more about Wisconsin, but we have heard from many state employers who want to be part of this effort,” said Tricia Braun, deputy secretary and chief operating officer of WEDC, in the release.

“Whether a company desires to hire one, 10, 100 or 1,000 veterans, I encourage interested companies to partner with us,” said DVA Secretary Daniel Zimmerman, in the release.

More than 40 Wisconsin companies, including Foxconn, Oshkosh Defense, WPS Health Solutions, Quad Graphics and American Family Insurance, have already started the process to become part of the program.

Companies interested in learning more about the Mission Wisconsin Talent Pipeline program can visit wedc.org/hire-veterans.