A Great Workforce Recruitment Strategy: Hire Some Heroes [SLIDESHOW]

As a result of upcoming military budget cuts, as many as 35,000 Army National Guard members will be entering the civilian workforce over a two-year period beginning this fall. Forward-looking manufacturing executives are closely watching this development because many of those job seekers will have skills that could be benefit their workforces.

One group poised to contribute as this wave of skilled candidates starts looking for work is American Jobs for America's Heroes. Since its founding two years ago, the AJAH campaign -- an alliance of the National Guard and three nonprofit groups: the Center for America, the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network, and Corporate America Supports You -- has been matching civilian employers with guard members, veterans and their spouses.

The National Guard trains its personnel in 107 occupational specialties, and, as the accompanying photos show, many of those specialties involve skills that transfer readily to manufacturing environments.