Comcast, NBCU Pledge To Hire 1,000 Vets

Comcast and NBCUniversal today said they will hire 1,000 U.S. Veterans over three years as part of “NBC News: Hiring Our Heroes” — a company-wide initiative in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce that is focused on getting the nation’s veterans back into the workforce.

The announcement was made this morning on Today by Comcast Chairman-CEO Brian Roberts and coincides with today’s nationwide hiring fair, “Hiring Our Heroes Today” where more than 1,500 veterans and military families are meeting with 100 companies at the USS Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. The Chamber and Today are also hosting simultaneous hiring fairs in Chicago, Fort Hood, and Stuttgart, Germany, through a virtual online hiring fair at TODAY.com/Veterans. Servicemen and women in other parts of the world can also participate in the online event.

Additionally, Comcast’s Xfinity TV service is bringing viewers special programming that explores veteran lifestyles and touches specifically upon their employment issues on Xfinity On Demand and XfinityTV.com. Comcast Newsmakers is also bringing viewers a five-minute interview with MSNBC Contributor Robert Traynham discussing veterans’ employment issues with Kevin Schmiegel, founder and executive director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “Hiring Our Heroes” initiative.

“We are so proud of our veterans and are humbled by the sacrifices they’ve made for this country,” said NBC News President Steve Capus. “As journalists, we are committed to telling their stories and as a company, we’re committed to helping with their transition back into the workforce.”

“NBC News: Hiring Our Heroes” is a partnership between NBC News and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that aims to help veterans and military spouses find employment. Since Sunday, March 25th, the properties of NBC News including MSNBC, CNBC, Today, Nightly News, Meet the Press, Rock Center, Dateline as well as NBC’s affiliates, digital properties and Telemundo have featured “NBC News: Hiring Our Heroes” pieces as part of this series, which culminates with today’s hiring fair.

Veterans, partners and citizens are encouraged to engage in this cross-platform initiative through the MSN Digital Network and targeted social media outreach on Facebook and Twitter. Vets and viewers are encouraged to use the hashtag #hiringourheroes.