Veterans Watchmaker Initiative

Veterans Watchmaker Initiative

Higher Education

Odessa, Delaware 51 followers

Training Veterans, Securing Futures

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About us

The Veterans Watchmaker Initiative is the only technical school in the USA devoted to training disabled veterans & non-disabled vets. The Veterans Watchmaker Initiative focuses on providing veterans, primarily disabled veterans, with the skill set necessary to professionally repair & restore timepieces, make new timepieces from parts they create, & restore their dignity of purpose. This career path requires a high skill level, is in great demand, offers excellent pay, & allows the veteran flexibility of a workplace. The professional watchmaker can expect entry-level compensation in the $75,000 - $100,000 range. Due to the aging watchmaker population, thousands of watchmakers are in demand in the USA. In the 1950s, there were about 44,000 watchmakers & over 40 watchmaking schools in the USA. Currently, there are about 3,000 working watchmakers, with the average age being around 65, & only six schools left that teach watchmaking in any form, none of which are geared toward veterans’ needs. VWI’s purpose is to fulfill the needs of veterans by giving them a skill set that they can use anywhere in the world despite a disability. The secondary benefit meets the needs of the watch industry by providing trained watchmakers who are in very high demand. The VWI program is patterned after US history's most successful vocational school. The Bulova family opened the Bulova School in 1945 & trained a generation of disabled veterans as watchmakers. This school operated until 1993 at no cost to the veterans. The deep concentration effect of watchmaker training, due to its nature of high-level eye-hand coordination necessary to perform the work, is highly therapeutic for disabled veterans. This is an essential support structure during training so no one feels isolated. This program will provide the financial security, independence, & dignity of purpose that our veterans deserve.

Website
www.vwmi.org
Industry
Higher Education
Company size
11-50 employees
Headquarters
Odessa, Delaware
Type
Educational
Founded
2011

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  • View organization page for Veterans Watchmaker Initiative, graphic
    Veterans Watchmaker Initiative

    51 followers

    View profile for Paul Lawrence, graphic
    Paul Lawrence

    I Help Veteran-Focused Organizations Overcome What & How Roadblocks While Saving Time & Money | American-Dream Advocate | Veteran | Creator Accelerator

    Lunch and Learn | Veterans Watchmaker Initiative (VWI) Starting today, and every afternoon this week, I will post pieces of an interview I conducted with Sam Cannan about the career opportunities for #Veterans in the Watchmaking industry. As Chairman of VWI, Sam’s in charge of a program that started after WWII to “repay the sacrifice and service of returning disabled Veterans.” They provide tuition-free education to teach disabled service members the skills of watchmaking to gain meaningful employment. During our conversation, Sam explained their history, the program, and the employment possibilities. Spoiler Alert – in a relatively short period, Veterans can be trained for a $50k/year job. With more training, they can get a position earning $100k (or more). Importantly, Sam points out that watchmaking is an ideal skill for Veterans who prefer to work by themselves or remotely. My sense is demand for these skills is very high, its hard to outsource, and unlikely to be replaced by AI. Please share Sam’s conversations with an unemployed (or under employed) buddy. #VHV | Veterans Helping Veterans #Jobs #ZeroVeteranUnemployed

  • Veterans Watchmaker Initiative reposted this

    View profile for Paul Lawrence, graphic
    Paul Lawrence

    I Help Veteran-Focused Organizations Overcome What & How Roadblocks While Saving Time & Money | American-Dream Advocate | Veteran | Creator Accelerator

    Lunch and Learn | Veterans Watchmaker Initiative (VWI) Starting today, and every afternoon this week, I will post pieces of an interview I conducted with Sam Cannan about the career opportunities for #Veterans in the Watchmaking industry. As Chairman of VWI, Sam’s in charge of a program that started after WWII to “repay the sacrifice and service of returning disabled Veterans.” They provide tuition-free education to teach disabled service members the skills of watchmaking to gain meaningful employment. During our conversation, Sam explained their history, the program, and the employment possibilities. Spoiler Alert – in a relatively short period, Veterans can be trained for a $50k/year job. With more training, they can get a position earning $100k (or more). Importantly, Sam points out that watchmaking is an ideal skill for Veterans who prefer to work by themselves or remotely. My sense is demand for these skills is very high, its hard to outsource, and unlikely to be replaced by AI. Please share Sam’s conversations with an unemployed (or under employed) buddy. #VHV | Veterans Helping Veterans #Jobs #ZeroVeteranUnemployed

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