Labor Dept, Chamber to host veteran job fairs
Published: October 4, 2010
Officials from the Department of Labor and Chamber of Commerce late last week announced a new 14-state pilot program to help veterans find not just jobs but "meaningful careers" upon finishing their military service.
The effort, an expansion of the Chamber's "Hiring our heroes" initiative, also includes efforts to educate employers about the value of hiring veterans, who often boast military skills that aren't always easily explained in job interviews. Unemployment among Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans dropped to 9.4 percent in August, an improvement over the double-digit rates seen throughout the summer but still well above the 7.4 rate for all veterans seeking work.
The job fairs -- which Department of Labor officials said they hope to expand to all 50 states in coming months -- will feature both prospective employers and job training lessons for veterans entering the civilian workforce for the first time.
States that have been chosen to participate in the pilot are; Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode island, Texas, and Virginia.
More information on the fairs will be available in coming weeks on the Department of Labor website and the Chamber's site.
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