ABILENE, Texas — The City of Abilene is partnering with the U.S. Army’sPartnership for Your Success (PaYS) program.
The City announced the partnership online, stating the goal is to help connect soldiers with the business community to provide opportunities to transition into civilian careers.
Through the PaYS program,active-duty soldiers, reservists, and others are able to apply for positions in the City of Abilene.
The PaYS program was created in 2000 as an enlistment incentive for Regular Army soldiers but has grown over the years to includeArmy Reserve soldiers, ROTC cadets, Officer Candidate School participants, Warrant Officer Flight Training candidates, and Army National Guard members.
According to the City,PaYS includes more than 1,000 private, corporate, and public sector partners, with a database of over 2 million job opportunities as of 2024.
Abilene’s Assistant Director of Human Resources, Patti Watson, said it creates a helpful recruiting method while opening up job opportunities for soldiers.
She said it’s a win-win situation.
“Once they’ve completed their training program, this is an opportunity for those soldiers to work with the City,” Watson said. “The benefit of hiring someone who’s been in the Army for several years is the maturity and real-world experience they bring.”
Watson said the partnership opens opportunities for those that already have ties to Abilene to return home after leaving the Army as well as those without connections to the community to explore various Abilene careers.