U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation honors Microsoft for support of veterans

During its seventh annual Hiring Our Heroes awards dinner in Washington D.C. yesterday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation presented Microsoft with the Steve Robinson Post-9/11 Veteran Employment Award.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce gives this award to companies that demonstrate effective and sustained efforts to enhance the ability of post-9/11 veterans and transitioning service members, in order to help them find meaningful employment in the private sector.

We are honored to receive this award, which reflects the impact the Microsoft Software & Systems Academy (MSSA) has made and the opportunities it continues to create for transitioning service members searching for a meaningful career in technology.

Since launching MSSA nearly four years ago, we have expanded from two bases to eight across the U.S., and we’ll soon be offering the same technical training to service members in Hawaii and Jacksonville—just to name a few.

Meanwhile, graduation and employment rates for those who have completed MSSA exceeds 90 percent, and the retention rates of MSSA grads at Microsoft is nearly 100 percent. We’re building on that success by developing a STEM middle school program for on-base Department of Defense schools and providing better job opportunities for military spouses.

It’s been a privilege to work with Hiring Our Heroes, and our continued success will depend not only on this partnership but also on our work with organizations like Team Red, White and Blue; MSSA hiring partners and the five military branches.

To learn more about MSSA, go to: https://military.microsoft.com/mssa.