Today is Memorial Day. At a time when the labor market is tight and manufacturers say they are losing millions of dollars because of job vacancies, programs like the one offered by Dr. Arthur Langer and Workforce Opportunity Services are a way to ensure that the talent potential in veteran communities is realized. In fact, over half of the 5,000 people WOS has trained were veterans.
Dr. Arthur Langer, Chairman and Founder of Workforce Opportunity ServicesARTHUR LANGER
Dr. Langer is the chairman and founder of Workforce Opportunity Services. He is also a professor at Columbia University.
The nonprofit Workforce Opportunity Services (WOS) works with over 60 companies in 40 locations throughout the nation including Prudential, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, Merck and PSEG and many others.
I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Langer recently. Here are the highlights of that interview:
Jill Griffin: Where did you grow up? Describe your early childhood and its significance on your life.
Dr. Arthur Langer: I was born and raised in the Bronx, just a few blocks away from Yankee Stadium. Both my mom and dad were immigrants from Eastern Europe, neither went to college. Growing up I thought about joining the union and becoming a Teamster like my dad, but I ended up being mentored by a member of my community and my trajectory changed.
