Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

General Questions

1. What is Project Vanguard?

Project Vanguard is a community of veterans in clean energy. We operate events nationally in partnership with industry trade groups and host our own events in our state chapters. We have three pillars we focus on:

• People - We connect veterans and military families with career opportunities and each other
• Projects - We organize grassroots advocacy efforts for All-of-the-Above energy solutions
• Policies - We support efforts that promote American Energy Dominance

2. What is your nonprofit status, and why?

Project Vanguard is structured as a for-profit communications platform rather than a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. This model enables us to directly engage and generate impact in the clean energy industry without relying on donations. We ensure long-term sustainability and effectiveness by aligning our mission with industry needs. We only continue so long as we are helping the industry leverage military talent to solve problems related to the People, Projects, and Policies that matter.

3. If you're for-profit, how do you generate revenue?

We do not charge veterans themselves any fees, dues, or charges of any kind. We do not charge employers to connect with veterans and military family talent. We create economic value for the clean energy industry through community engagement and policy advocacy. 

Our revenue comes from partnerships with clean energy companies, trade groups, and advocacy initiatives that benefit industry stakeholders, including veterans in clean energy.

4. Who can get involved, and what’s the financial commitment?

We never charge for membership. We have a varied and wide-ranging membership.

• Veterans in Clean Energy - The original members of the organization are all veterans who currently work in clean energy and wanted to connect with the other 10 percent of the clean energy workforce that also served in the military.
• Veterans Interested in Clean Energy - Whether you just got out of the military, you’re in the market for a new job, or you’re interested in a career with more upward mobility, we can support you. 
• Military Family Members - We talk a lot about veterans, but we will always give the same level of support to the military spouses who served alongside us.
• Clean Energy Military Supporters - We welcome civilian supporters to our community and value your efforts to help veterans find meaningful careers in the industry.

5. How can I get involved, and what’s the time commitment?

There are multiple ways to engage with Project Vanguard, and the time commitment depends on your level of involvement:

• Join Us - Sign up here, it takes less than a minute.
• Post in Slack - We have an entire digital community in Slack with hundreds of members who are eager to welcome you to 
  Project Vanguard. Then you can network and job shop at your own speed.
• Show Up - Attend events, connect with industry professionals, and explore career opportunities.
• Volunteer - We organize and mobilize veterans to show up and speak up for the industry we work in. This can mean anywhere from attending networking events, to supporting marketing, to letter writing, phone banking, lobby days, meeting elected officials, and much more. 
• Community Leaders - Organize local chapters, mentor transitioning veterans, and engage in advocacy (10 hours/month).
• Industry Partners - Hire veterans, host an event, and provide opportunities for our members to engage in your project siting, permitting, advocacy, and other meaningful efforts to advance the industry.

For Veterans & Active Duty Service Members

6. I’ve signed up and joined Project Vanguard. How do I start?

We recommend:

• Joining the Slack Channel – When you sign up you’ll automatically receive an email to join our Slack channel. 
• Post in Slack - Post about yourself in #0_start_here 
  Introduce yourself! 
  Name
  Military background
  Where you are now
  What you're doing now
  What you're interested in (hobbies, career goals, how you want to participate in Project Vanguard)
• Join Slack Channels - Join the #general channel and your local chapter channel
• Explore Career Options – Join the #jobs channel. Connect with other veterans. We can guide you to roles across the value chain for the industry, including but not limited to logistics, operations, finance, project development, construction, manufacturing, and sales.
• Attend an Event – Engage with veterans and industry professionals to connect and learn from each other.
  

7. I’m transitioning from active duty. Do you offer job placement assistance?

We don’t offer direct services, but we do have an amazing community of industry professionals to rely upon.

What we don’t do for your career transition:

• Resume Support - We do not write or review resumes. However, our community members are happy to help shop your resume around once you’ve connected with them.
• Interview Training - We don’t prep or run interview workshops. However, our members are more than willing to jump on a call to chat or meet up. Use these opportunities in no-pressure environments to hone your story, understand the industry, and narrow in on the opportunities in the industry that will be the best fit for you.
• Recruiting - We are not recruiters. We don’t do fee-for-service workforce development, and we don’t keep a database of resumes. We will connect you to recruiters that we know if requested, though; some of them are in the community and on our Slack channel already. As you’ll come to learn in your career after the military, referrals are key for efficient and effective career transitions.
• Job Fairs - We don’t host hiring events. However, you’d be surprised how many people find job connections at our happy hours. 

What we will do to support your career transition:

• Mentorship and Networking – We’ve all been where you are. It’s confusing, it’s overwhelming and it just plain sucks. But this can also be time to learn, be curious, and be humble to explore new career opportunities. We’ve been there and are open to helping you with conversation and guidance, and are happy to make introductions that will help you land the right role for you.
• SkillBridge Internships – These six-month internships enable one to work in clean energy while still on active duty. As the program manager, we’ve set this up through American Clean Power, as a trade group, for all of their member companies. You can’t apply directly through us, but we can connect you with those opportunities and help support you through that process. If you land one of these we can then connect you with local community members in your area to continue to support you in your new industry career.

For Employers & Industry Partners

8. How can my company hire veterans through Project Vanguard?

We do not provide direct placement services. However, we have an amazing community and series of events throughout the year across the country that your talent acquisition team can plug into.

• Join our Community - We keep a list of recruiters and talent managers so that we can make referrals and engage in discussions around the strategic workforce development framework we are building and executing to create a more effective and efficient pathway into clean energy for transitioning service members.
• Post Jobs – Promote opportunities specifically to veterans in our Slack channel. You don’t have to be a veteran to join and post.
• Attend Events – Our events are great places to connect with veterans already in clean energy, as well as those exploring pathways into the industry.
• Start /Grow a Veteran Employee Resource Group (VRG) - These groups are tremendous assets for companies looking to organize their existing veteran workforce. VRGs are also effective for leveraging other veterans to engage, promote, hire, and retain military talent.
• Promote Project Vanguard - Share Project Vanguard not only with your talent management but also with your employee resource group and veterans already in the company. Those are the best advocates for new veterans and military family members seeking new careers in the industry.  

9. My company is interested in advocacy and community engagement. How can we collaborate?

We partner with companies to:

• Build veteran support for local projects – Veterans are trusted messengers who can advocate for clean energy initiatives.
• Host workforce development programs – Engage transitioning service members and veterans in meaningful careers.
• Participate in policy discussions – Support pro-clean energy policies with veteran voices at the forefront.
  

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For Employers & Industry Partners

10. What is Project Vanguard’s stance on clean energy policy?

• Veteran Workforce Development – We advocate for policy that expands career pathways for military veterans getting into clean energy. Currently, 10 percent of the clean energy workforce is composed of military veterans. We seek to double that by organizing and mobilizing military talent in the industry.
• American Energy Dominance – We support market-driven solutions that provide a portfolio model of energy resiliency and stability through an All-of-the-Above energy strategy.
• Energy Security – We believe strengthening national security through diverse energy sources decreases our dependence on foreign adversaries, increases our ability to export energy sources such as LNG to our allies, and secures our military force projection for years to come.
  

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11. What’s behind the name Project Vanguard?

We chose our name because we are leading from the front of clean energy. We are the vanguard for our forces. There are too many veteran acronym organizations out there, “Veterans in X”. While descriptive, we wanted a name for the organization that reflected our military heritage without beating you over the head with it.

12. What is the difference between signing up for the Newsletter and signing up to Volunteer?

• When you become a member, you are signing up for our newsletter. You will also gain access to our Slack community of veterans in clean energy.
• When you become a volunteer, you will be identified as a potential advocate for our industry as we continue to speak up for our industry. When opportunities for speaking, community engagement, op-ed, podcasts, etc. 
  
  Have more questions? Contact us at info@projectvanguard.com