Edge4Vets: Changing Lives Through Opportunity

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Companies throughout the PCB, EMS, semiconductor, microelectronics, aerospace, defense, and medical electronics sectors need dependable people who can think clearly, learn quickly, solve problems, work safely, and perform as part of a team. Meanwhile, thousands of exceptionally capable military veterans are returning to civilian life with those very qualities. The challenge is bringing these two groups together, and helping each understand the other.

That is the mission of Edge4Vets, founded by Tom Murphy, director of the Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business. The inspiration for the program came in 2010, when he encountered a troubled young soldier on an airplane. Tom left that flight concerned about the future of this young vet without the right support, which led to writing an opinion piece that appeared in the New York Daily News. That public call to action soon became a personal one.

Tom redirected the work of his resiliency institute toward helping veterans recognize the strengths they developed during military service and translate them into a language that civilian employers understand. In 2011, Edge4Vets introduced its first workshop series for veterans at Fordham University. Since then, the program has expanded through partnerships with universities, companies, community organizations, and industry groups. Its workshops help veterans identify their transferable skills, articulate their value, prepare for civilian careers, and connect with employers that appreciate what they can contribute. Learn more about Edge4Vets’ history and purpose.

This work is especially important to electronics manufacturers. Veterans frequently bring experience in leadership, teamwork, project management, technical problem-solving, attention to detail, accountability, adaptability, and safety. They learned to make sound decisions under pressure, complete the mission, support their teammates, and find solutions when complete information was unavailable.

Those capabilities should be enormously valuable to any industry built on quality, reliability, precision, and performance. Yet veterans can be overlooked because military experience does not always translate neatly onto a civilian résumé. Employers may not understand military terminology, while veterans—accustomed to emphasizing the team rather than themselves—may undersell their individual achievements.

Egde4Vets bridges that gap.

I recently spoke with Tom Murphy about his organization and the tremendous opportunity the electronics industry has to recruit and develop this remarkable source of talent. We also discussed what employers must do to understand military experience, support veterans throughout their careers, and build partnerships that benefit veterans, companies, and our country.

Dan Beaulieu: Tom, thanks for meeting with me and for the good work you are doing. What are the biggest challenges veterans face when trying to find meaningful careers after military service?

Tom Murphy: Dan, every year, thousands of service members transition into civilian life. The anxiety veterans feel as they leave the military and return to civilian life is real, for they are leaving behind the “networks of support” they have relied on for two, five, or maybe 20 years. The concept is that they are anxious because they worry they won’t have the skills necessary to compete in the civilian workplace. Our research backed up those claims, and that’s where Edge4Vets comes in. We help them identify and learn how to find the transferable skills that will give them an “edge” in the civilian marketplace.

Beaulieu: Why is the electronics manufacturing industry such a strong career fit for military veterans?

Murphy: Our research shows that they have developed skills that can make them highly marketable. Edge4Vets helps them identify transferable skills, and then we help them connect with employers who value those skills.

Beaulieu: Many employers say they want to hire veterans, yet they often struggle to understand military experience. How does Edge4Vets help bridge that communication gap between veterans and employers?

Murphy: Many HR reps at companies in the civilian sector have no military experience, so they evaluate vets the same way they would non-vets, and often miss the point about how uniquely qualified veterans can be. There’s a great need to teach HR directors how to understand the veterans better and understand the military culture they are coming out of.

Beaulieu: How does the Edge4Vets career preparation process work and what makes your approach different from traditional job placement programs?

Murphy: Again, veterans are coming out of a military culture that, from the moment they enter the service, works to sublimate them as individuals and mold them into members of the military who can support the military’s mission. As a result, vets often undersell themselves in an interview process for a civilian job because they focus on how much they supported the “team,” and fail to focus on how good they are. Civilian HR reps can help themselves by better understanding and by encouraging the vets in interviews to share how much value they brought to team projects in the military.

Beaulieu: What skills do veterans typically bring to electronics manufacturing companies that many employers may overlook?

Murphy: The research shows that the unique skills vets have developed include analysis, attention to detail, teamwork, leadership, and, most importantly, safety. These can be invaluable to electronics companies.

Beaulieu: We've heard employers talk about the shortage of skilled talent throughout the PCB, EMS, semiconductor, aerospace, defense, and electronics sectors. How can hiring veterans become part of the long-term workforce solution?

Murphy: 2.9 million young men and women went overseas to fight the wars that followed 9/11. Since then, they have been returning home in waves, flowing back into the civilian workforce as the military downsizes. As such, this flow of high-quality talent can be invaluable to any industry, and microelectronics would be wise to recognize this and tap into it.

Beaulieu: Can you share a success story that illustrates the impact Edge4Vets has had on a veteran's career and on the company that hired them?

Murphy: Absolutely! Gary Colas is an Air Force vet who developed unique project management skills during his tenure in the service. He is a student at UMASS Boston, with which Edge4Vets partners to offer our workshops. Gary came to an Edge4Vets session in April 2026. There, he met Remtec’s HR team, who immediately spotted his unique skills, including his strong work ethic. They brought him on as an intern, where he continues to work while he completes his degree in finance at UMASS Boston.

Beaulieu: How can companies in the electronics industry become better partners for veterans, not just during the hiring process, but throughout their careers?

Murphy: Veterans joined the military because they have a strong component of “service” built into their personalities. They learned how to function as a team, which companies also value, and thus companies would be wise to provide them with career ladders that allow them to grow within the company by giving them opportunities to tap into their service mindsets and contribute to the company’s success.

Beaulieu: AI, advanced electronics, defense systems, medical devices, and electrification are driving demand for electronics. How well-positioned are veterans to thrive in these highly technical environments?

Murphy: Many veterans joined the service when they were young. Immediately, they were given tasks, sometimes managing millions of dollars of equipment, and told to “figure it out.” They did. At 21 or 22 years of age, they have a strong capacity to make sound judgments and provide leadership, so they are well-positioned for success. It’s up to companies to recognize this potential when they hire them, and to nurture and develop it.

Beaulieu: What advice would you give to electronics manufacturers that have never intentionally recruited military veterans but are considering doing so for the first time?

Murphy: If you want resiliency in the employees you hire, consider hiring a vet. That’s not to say that a person needs to have served in the military to have strong values and quality skills, but the chances are that by serving in the military, veteran candidates bring those values and skills with them, and they can help your company succeed. Tap into that!

Beaulieu: Looking ahead, where do you see the greatest opportunities for collaboration between Edge4Vets and the electronics industry?

Murphy: We have a partnership with Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC), which, in turn, is working with DoD to modernize the military. This is a critical national need, and Edge4Vets gives veterans the chance to take our workshop and connect with the microelectronics companies doing this important work. Groups such as NEMC can see the support we provide by channeling talented, job-ready vets to their member companies, and Edge4Vets can benefit from access to high-quality companies that offer employment opportunities for vets in our system.

Beaulieu: If you could change one misconception that employers have about hiring military veterans, what would it be?

Murphy: I find that some HR reps in the civilian sector hold the view that veterans have been made rigid by a system that requires soldiers to take orders. However, companies miss the point if they see only that aspect and miss the reality that throughout their careers, veterans have had to think on their feet and have been encouraged to make decisions with “low information” and in critical crisis situations. They are exactly the kind of high-quality employees that companies should want.

Beaulieu: Finally, for all the veterans reading this interview who are considering a career in electronics manufacturing—and for companies looking to hire exceptional talent—what message would you like to leave them with?

Murphy: Vets, we’re gearing up for our Fall Workshop series, starting Oct.  28, which will be hosted by UMASS Boston. Join us and get support. Register at Edge4Vets.org. Companies, please do the same: Register with us and meet an incredible array of quality veterans who can help your company.

Beaulieu: Excellent, Tom, thank you.

This is a great opportunity to solve our own hiring problems. Every day, I hear from companies that are unable to fill key positions in their organizations. As their work force ages out, it is getting more difficult to replace them. I urge all to reach out to Tom and see how he can help connect you with the right vets in your area or better yet help you set up an Edge4Vets chapter in your region. It’ll be a true win-win-win situation.

Learn how Edge4Vets is already working with industry suppliers like Remtec, Inc. to connect veterans with opportunities across PCB, EMS, semiconductor, aerospace, defense, medical electronics, and other advanced manufacturing sectors.