U.S. Army and Sonoco partner this week in recruiting program

 

Lt. Col. Stephen Christian and Mr. Allan McLeland at the signing ceremony.

     Story by Julie Scott and Leslie Ann Sully 

    Photos by Staff Sgt. Christopher Freeman

      Representatives of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) and Sonoco signed an agreement Dec. 20 to provide priority interviews to qualified Soldiers particapting in the Partnership for Youth Success Program (PaYS). 

     “The U.S. Army is excited to add Sonoco to its team of corporate partners in the Partnership for Youth Success program,” said Lt. Col. Stephen Christian, U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion Columbia Commander. “These partnerships enable our recruiters to offer applicants local quality employment opportunities during and after their Army service.”

      Christian signed the agreement with Mr. Allan McLeland, Sonoco Vice President of Human Resources, during a ceremony held at Sonoco’s global headquarters in Hartsville, S.C.

      “At Sonoco, we believe People Build Businesses, and today’s partnership only reiterates that sentiment. The Army PaYs program is an excellent recruiting tool and will go a long way in helping us find great talent for years to come,” said McLeland. 

      PaYS is a strategic partnership program between the Army and a cross section of U.S. corporations and public sector agencies. It was developed to help the Army attract, train and deploy talented young people who want to serve their country, but also want to help secure their future success once their Army service is complete. 

      Under terms of the agreement between USAREC and Sonoco, enlistees interested in gaining specific job training and qualifications will receive that training while in the U.S. Army. As they near the end of their enlistments, the Soldiers will have the opportunity to interview with Sonoco for a specific job.

      Sonoco jobs are in the Army’s PaYS database. For more information, interested applicants may visit their local recruiter or log on to www.armypays.com .

      The Army’s list of corporate partners is long and growing. Partners include: BellSouth, Caterpillar, Lockheed Martin, Sears Logistics Services Inc., State Farm Insurance, John Deere Company, Goodyear and Southwest Airlines. Most recently, companies headquartered in South Carolina include: The City of Orangeburg, G&P Trucking and Suburban Plumbing. Sonoco is the 688^th partner.

      “Each year thousands of young men and women develop valuable skills and gain experience in a broad spectrum of Army jobs. They are motivated, have professional work habits and high standards of conduct.  This partnership is one way we can help ensure our soldiers continue to achieve success after leaving the Army, and that American industry benefits by gaining quality employees,” Christian said.

About Sonoco

Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE:SON) is a global provider of a variety of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and displays and packaging supply chain services. With annualized net sales of approximately $4.8 billion, the Company has 20,000 employees working in more than 300 operations in 33 countries, serving some of the world’s best known brands in some 85 nations. For more information on the Company, visit www.sonoco.com.

About U.S. Army Recruiting Command 

The U.S. Army Recruiting Command, headquartered at Fort Knox, recruits quality men and women to serve in the Army and Army Reserve.  Approximately 8,000 soldiers and civilian employees conduct recruiting operations throughout the States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and at U.S. facilities in Germany and Asia.  www.armypays.com