SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A San Diego-based nonprofit is helping military veterans transition into manufacturing careers while addressing the nationwide shortage of skilled workers in the industry.
Workshops for Warriors, based in Barrio Logan, has placed more than 1,600 veterans into manufacturing jobs across the country since its founding in 2008. Navy veteran Hernan Luis y Prado started the program to assist fellow veterans in securing meaningful employment after their military service.
The program offers hands-on training that appeals to veterans who learn best through practical experience. Robert Fisher Jr., a Marine veteran who joined the program in 2023, now works as a teaching assistant.
"I'm more of a hands-on learner myself, which is one of the reasons why I chose this," Fisher said. "At the time getting out, I didn't have anything saved up, so the school helped me out with a scholarship, and they helped get me on my feet."
The need for such programs is significant. A survey from the Wounded Warrior Project shows nearly 6 in 10 veterans face underemployment. Many veterans struggle to find jobs where their military skills are effectively translated, and the transition to civilian life occurs quickly.
Luis y Prado designed the program to address these challenges by providing veterans with the type of compressed, intensive training they experienced in the military.
"If we're able to provide these young men and women with the same type of compressed training that they're used to in the service, then we can provide this consistent and capable pool of talent, the lifelong credentials, compressed training, and on-the-job training they need to succeed at careers throughout our nation," Luis y Pradio said.
The program is looking to expand as it received over 9,000 applications for a class of 240 people. The nonprofit is fully funded through donations and investors.
For more information on Workshops for Warriors, including how to donate, visit https://wfw.org.
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