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CU Boulder is co-hosting a unique opportunity for military veterans on Nov. 8. Vets2STEM is a career expo hosted at the Colorado School of Mines in partnership with Mines and Colorado State University. The event is open to all Colorado veteran students. 

Vets2STEM will introduce veterans to employment opportunities available at national defense and energy laboratories. It will also be a great chance to learn about the programs available at all three universities that can serve as pipelines into those STEM careers. These programs, which are varied at each institution, focus on technical skills that are well suited to the national labs. 

Nine of the national labs will be in attendance on Nov. 8. The event will include special guest speakers, veteran panels, tech demonstrations and lab exhibits.

This is a rare opportunity for veterans to get acquainted with the long-term benefits of working at one of the 17 Department of Energy labs spread across the nation. Colorado is home to over 400,000 Veterans, one national lab, and many defense contractors, all of which allow Colorado to play an important role in filling current and future employment needs. 92% of the Department of Energy occupation codes are technical, while 62% combine some level of STEM training. Our veterans are strongly positioned to fill jobs within these labs. Programs in engineering, advanced manufacturing, circuitry, welding, advanced technology, etc. are all key to said lab positions.

Bill Doe, research development manager in the College of Engineering and Applied Science and an Army engineer veteran, said the energy sector – particularly renewable energy – is a career field that fits very well with skills people acquire in the military. ”Renewables are on the rise within the military sector, both operationally and at military installations,” he said. “As such, many veterans already have hands-on experience with these technologies and understand their importance to long-term energy security for the nation. The solar and wind energy sectors have been very supportive of hiring veterans.”

The importance of connecting the veteran community to these national labs will continue to grow as national labs look to fill thousands of high-wage STEM positions over the next five years.

Attendees are highly encouraged to bring their resume. The event is free, and lunch and a T-shirt will be provided.