For many veterans, finding a job after leaving military service can be an uphill battle.

We believe veterans bring an inherent level of trust, loyalty, honesty, and safety to the table, which makes them a natural fit for serving as a notary public.

Last fall a study from the Military Benefit Association found that two-thirds of currently employed veterans reported it was at least somewhat difficult to obtain a position after leaving active duty.

“While there is substantial training available to military personnel months before they separate, service members still face many struggles as they make the transition to the civilian sector,” said retired U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt.  Roy Gibson, president of MBA.

To help ease the transition to civilian careers, the National Notary Association announced it will offer free notary training for veterans at its annual meeting in June.

“By becoming a notary public, or by improving their notary skills, veterans will gain valuable vocational training for their resume as they apply for work in corporate America,” NNA said in a statement. “Notaries serve an essential consumer protection role in many industries, including real estate finance, healthcare, and the legal profession, to name a few. Veterans with an entrepreneurial spirit can also become small-business owners as a mobile notary or a full-time notary signing agent.”

As part of the training, veterans will have a chance to participate in workshops and learn more about notary basics, such as preventing financial exploitation of the elderly, current trends in electronic notarization, and mortgage loan signings.

Veterans are particularly well suited to the notary industry, said NNA President and CEO Thomas Heymann: “We believe veterans bring an inherent level of trust, loyalty, honesty, and safety to the table, which makes them a natural fit for serving as a notary public.”

NNA is not the only association to offer career training for veterans. The International Franchise Association, for example, provides skills training to retired military personnel through its Operation Enduring Opportunity, which as of November 2013 had brought more than 150,000 vets and their spouses into the franchise industry.

Other associations, such as the Military Officers Association of America, are also trying to raise awareness around the issue of unemployment and the military. A recent MOAA survey found that 90 percent of wives of active-duty service members possess more education or experience than is required in their jobs. More than half of the 2,644 respondents also reported that it was hard to find their current or most recent job, and 85 percent reported it is difficult in general for military spouses to get hired

The survey findings “demonstrate a need for concerted efforts to improve the employment issues currently faced by military spouses,” MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan said in a statement.

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