Comcast and NBCUniversal Double Commitment to ‘Hiring Our Heroes’

PHILADELPHIA & WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK), a global media and technology company, announced today that Comcast and NBCUniversal have achieved their publicly announced three-year goal of hiring 1,000 veterans as part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s “Hiring Our Heroes” initiative two years ahead of schedule and that it will double its pledge by committing to hire an additional 1,000 U.S. veterans by 2015.

“Comcast and NBCUniversal are thrilled to have reached our original hiring commitment early”

Hiring Our Heroes launched in March 2011 as nationwide effort to help veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment. As a key partner in this effort, Comcast and NBCUniversal have hired 1,000 veterans in the last year to work in a variety of positions at all levels, including network engineering, technology, operations, theme parks and resorts, programming, customer service, marketing, human resources and other careers. Comcast and NBCUniversal’s pledge contributes to the Chamber’s Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign, the largest private sector commitment of its kind with a goal of hiring half a million veterans and military spouses by the end of 2014. To date, businesses have pledged to hire more than 210,000 veterans and military spouses, and 93,000 hires have been confirmed.

“Comcast and NBCUniversal are thrilled to have reached our original hiring commitment early,” said William Strahan, Executive Vice President of Human Resources for Comcast Cable. “We have had the privilege of hiring extremely talented men and women over the last year and we look forward to making our workforce even stronger with our next wave of veterans joining our team.”

“To move the needle on veteran unemployment, it will take companies increasing their levels of veteran hiring and Comcast and NBCUniversal have stepped up to do just that,” said Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Schmiegel (ret.), executive director of Hiring Our Heroes. “Comcast and NBCUniversal are among the biggest supporters of our program and through their dedication and leadership, we are seeing a difference in how businesses across America are recognizing the value in hiring a veteran.”

Comcast and NBCUniversal have fostered a culture that supports veterans and reservists within its ranks. Veterans are invited to join employee resource groups where there is a community among veterans. The Comcast and NBCUniversal Veterans Network employee resource groups serve as a base of support for members, in several ways, including a mentoring program and events focused on growing the professional and personal development of veterans and their allies. Additionally, NBC News created the "Making a Difference on the Homefront" news series in an effort to shine a light on veterans, military families and the issues affecting them across the country. NBC Publishing also just released a free enhanced eBook and guide for veterans, Heroes Get Hired: How to Use Your Military Experience to Master the Interview (downloadable at http://www.heroesgethired.com/).

This spring, NBC News and the Chamber will launch a jobs and education resource portal to connect veterans and their families with up-to-date tools and information to help them in their transition after returning home from military service. The centralized hub will feature the best resources from leading industry partners, in addition to NBC News features, and family, spouse and community resources.

“Our goal is to offer veterans tangible tools that help them with their transition back into the workforce and civilian life,” commented Beth Colleton, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, NBCUniversal. “We look forward to working with the entire Comcast and NBCUniversal family in collaboration with stellar partners like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to continue to expand our veteran initiatives.”

Comcast is also offering its programming resources to help veterans find careers at other employers through programs such as the “Hire a Veteran” On Demand on Xfinity TV initiative as well as engaging in numerous partnerships with veteran serving organizations in local communities. From March 15-28, Hiring Our Heroes will host a series of major job fairs in different communities across America, including Washington D.C., New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Fort Hood, Fayetteville, and Dayton with support from Comcast and NBCUniversal.

In November 2012, Comcast and NBCUniversal were honored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Chamber Foundation with the 2nd Annual Hiring Our Heroes Lee Anderson Award. This award recognizes Comcast and NBCUniversal’s dedication to addressing the challenges faced by veterans, transitioning service members and military families in their search for meaningful employment.

About Comcast Corporation:

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates 30 news and entertainment cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

About the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF) is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness by addressing developments that affect our nation, our economy, and the global business environment.