Fort Bragg hosts job fair for soldiers transitioning into civilian life
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (WTVD) -- Spc. Joshua Raymond is getting out of the Army in three weeks. One trip to Green Ramp, and a couple of face-to-face meetings with employers, and he walked away with more than three job offers Wednesday afternoon.
"I mean it's very helpful that they set stuff up like this for us," said Raymond, a young helicopter maintenance mechanic. "Because if you look back to when my dad got out of the military, it's like 'hey-thanks, see ya.' People are trying to help us now."
Raymond was just one of more than 1,200 soldiers and spouses looking toward the future Wednesday during a large job fair dubbed "Hiring Our Heroes." The event is sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which confirms more than 24,000 hires by more than 1,500 businesses since it launched a large-scale veteran hiring campaign in 2012. It comes at a time when Post-9/11 veteran unemployment is at 9 percent, which is 3 percent higher than the national average.
Wednesday's fair capped two days of the most recent initiative by Fort Bragg to help its own transition into civilian life. About 70 companies, including Hilton Worldwide, Veterans Affairs, Kraft, and the Moore County School System were on-site conducting interviews and hiring.
"I tell them all it takes is one conversation," said Ernie Lombardi, a Southeast Regional associate with the U.S. Chamber.
Lombardi said the face-to-face contact with employers provides a distinct advantage to transitioning veterans, but a new virtual tool is also providing a better connection between employers and potential veteran hires.
On Tuesday, the Fort Bragg Veterans Job Summit featured the first Virtual Job Scout fair. It's essentially an online job fair for people who couldn't attend the hiring fairs. It can come in handy for personnel stationed overseas, as well.
That online tool was introduced alongside a USAA-sponsored Employer Roadmap, which helps employers learn the best strategies to hire veterans.
Hiring our Heroes also helps veterans in the art of "code switching," a term used when you're talking about how to translate active-duty skill sets into a civilian workplace resume.
"If you're a diesel engine mechanic, or if you're a paratrooper, there's no direct skill translation in the civilian marketplace," said Mike Kelly, a USAA representative." So I would encourage people to look at reinventing themselves."
Kelly said veterans should take full advantage of the G.I. Bill and benefits through Veterans Affairs.
"There's lots of opportunities out there if they're willing to try something new," said Kelly.
For more information about the employer roadmap and Virtual Job Scout, visit www.employerroadmap.com and virtualjobscout.org.
Information on Hiring Our Heroes events is available at www.hiringourheroes.org.
