The path forward for the technology industry in 2017 appears to involve encouraging vets to join the sector in a big way.

This week, the Consumer Technology Association announced that it would hire Jennifer Taylor as its vice president of U.S. jobs, with a goal of pushing veterans to find careers in the tech sector in a big way.

CTA already has an existing platform focused on this area called U.S. Tech Vets, which it launched with the assistance of the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), Monster.com, and Military.com. During her tenure, Taylor will continue to build out the platform and work to encourage HR professionals to hire more vets. The tech industry has a need for new workers—with 260,000 open jobs nationwide, according to The Hill. Veterans seeking employment—of which there are 450,000 across the U.S.—are well-positioned to fill this role, Taylor emphasized to the newspaper, because they’ve received relevant technical training.

“The general philosophy of what we’re doing is that our military does an excellent job at training our servicemen and women,” she explained. “They have tremendous leadership and skills.”

CTA isn’t the only trade group interested in targeting this sector, either. CompTIA recently announced a collaboration with Microsoft that’s designed to help as many as 35,000 U.S. veterans gain careers in the IT sector by taking part in the tech giant’s Microsoft Software & Systems Academy (MSSA), which is targeted specifically at vets.

CompTIA worked with the company to get two of its certifications—CompTIA Network+ and Security+—accepted into the 18-week training program as prerequisites. The program helps with job placement both with Microsoft and 220 other hiring partners.

“There are thousands of service members who have already demonstrated their passion for technology by earning CompTIA certifications,” Microsoft’s vice president for Military Affairs, Chris Cortez, said in a news release. “Accepting those certifications as a qualification for MSSA opens the program’s doors wider for more service members, which will empower them to achieve more in their civilian careers.”

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