US Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez keynotes Veterans Day Salute

Event features panel on women veterans in STEM

U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez stands for the posting of the colors and the national anthem on Nov. 10 at the Labor Department's annual "Salute to Veterans" in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today hosted the department's annual "Salute to Veterans." This year's program highlighted the importance of providing opportunities to women veterans who are interested in working in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, where women are underrepresented.

Women are the fastest growing population among veterans, making up approximately 20 percent of Gulf War-era II veterans. Meanwhile, careers in STEM are some of the most rapidly growing in our economy. Exploring ways to match returning women veterans with in-demand jobs can help us unlock the tremendous potential of these brave women to help our economy grow.

"We are building a modernized, refurbished skills superhighway, enabling workers to get good jobs and businesses to find good workers," Secretary Perez said in his remarks during the event. "We have to work with all due urgency to ensure that we are helping to connect women veterans to the programs that will help them launch their own journeys down that superhighway."

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training Keith Kelly gave introductory remarks following the posting of the colors and the national anthem. "This is not just a day of reflection, but also one of celebration," he said. "On Veterans Day, we celebrate one of the greatest acts of citizenship a person can make: stepping forward to defend a nation, its people and its ideals."

Following remarks from Secretary Perez and Assistant Secretary of Labor Kelly, Dr. Nancy Glowacki, VETS women veteran program manager, led a discussion on STEM occupations with Dr. Martina Sternberg, assistant director of the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University; Ryan McLay, a veteran working as an archaeological lab analyst; Malissa McLean, an information technology program manager at the Labor Department; Robert Korje, military liaison for Hyundai Motors; and Adrian Cervantes, who works to employ transitioning veterans at Airstreams Renewables Inc.