COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—A Colorado Springs company will choose one veteran to get a free franchise without the usual fees of about $100,000, part of a nationwide initiative to help veterans get jobs and start businesses.
The Gazette reported Thursday ( ) that Conspire! Franchising LLC, a drug-screening company, hopes to have the vet-owned franchise ready by the first of next year.
Several other companies are offering to help veterans start businesses or get hired as part of an International Franchise Association effort.
First lady Michelle Obama has been campaigning for jobs for veterans. She says companies have committed to hire 100,000 veterans and military spouses by 2014.
The Labor Department says unemployment is 12.1 percent for veterans who served since the Sept. 11 attacks. The national rate is 9 percent.
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Information from: The Gazette,
