The Department of Labor recently reported that there were 3.2 million American jobs available and companies were looking for a few good men and women to fill them. Yet, despite unemployment hovering over 9 percent, and with nearly 1 million veterans out of work, many of these jobs have remained open because employers can’t find qualified workers.

We have seen this trend increasing in recent months, especially in the manufacturing industry where it is estimated that more than 600,000 jobs are unfilled. According to the Wall Street Journal, this has had a severe impact on the energy, transportation, and labor industries and has created what the author called "a ripple effect" throughout the rest of the business world by straining the positions that are currently filled.

What is the biggest problem cited by employers in not being able to fill these positions?  The answer is, plain and simple, skills.  While college degrees are important and substantially increase chances for employment, the key is providing unemployed veterans in the middle of their working careers access to these unfilled jobs by learning specialized trades at vocational schools and community colleges. The power of American industry is still in high demand, therefore, we must apply our resources to help those where resources will provide the greatest return on the investment.

To address this problem, I introduced the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act earlier this year.  The legislation recognized the very real need for skilled employees and provides for nearly 100,000 veterans of past generations (ages 35-60) to return to school to learn a new skill to acquire an in-demand job.  It does that by offering up to 12 months of Montgomery GI Bill benefits—currently $1,473 per month to pay for training.  It also frees up critical training programs within the Department of Labor for even more veterans to participate in skills-based courses to help them compete in today’s marketplace.  In November, the final bill, the VOW to Hires Heroes Act, became law.

The passage of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act was certainly cause for celebration.  But as the law is implemented, now is the time we must remain focused on the end goal and ensure that we are all doing our part to keep our veterans out of unemployment lines.

Enacting a law should not be the end of the discussion; it is just one means to an end. It was but a first step.  One law will not employ the 900,000 veterans who are out of work.  Clearly, aggressive hiring by the private sector is the real key to putting unemployed veterans back to work and it is my belief that the VOW to Hire Heroes act will make many of these heroes highly competitive for jobs.

Our private sector must, and has in many cases, step up to the plate.  In September, we held a Veterans Employment Summit to learn about the best practices in veterans hiring programs. Many companies have specific programs and recruiting offices just for veterans.  And in some cases, companies with similar business platforms have formed coalitions to hire veterans.

For instance, the Edison Electric Institute has asked its partner power companies to seek out veterans who are looking for work.  Not only are these positions highly technical (the power companies provide the training), but also provide our veterans with a sense of duty by allowing them to continue serving our nation during times of national crises, such as acts of criminality, hurricanes, and other disasters. Likewise, Chase Bank has set a goal of hiring 100,000 veterans with its business partners.

Meanwhile, we will continue to look for solutions to help our veterans find work.  This spring, we will be holding summits around the country to hear from local businesses and organizations about the specific issues they face in hiring veterans.  We know from meetings this fall that number one on that list is finding unemployed veterans.  The U.S Department of Labor and the state employment services must do a better job of coordinating training and job placement services on a national scale.

But by far the biggest obstacle for many of our veterans who are unemployed is the state of our economy.  Until the federal government releases its vice grip on the regulations that are strangling our small businesses and we are able to reform the tax code, we will not see a change in our economic outlook. We must get our economy back on track and provide veterans, and all Americans, with opportunities to succeed.

If we can do all of this, I am confident that over the next two years, we will see our veterans in leadership roles in companies across the nation, continuing to lead by example, as they did in service to our country, well into the future.