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Governor Cuomo Announces "Hire Our Heroes" Career Fair on Long Island to Connect Veterans with Jobs

Written by Long Island News & PR  |  10. August 2013

Albany, NY - August 9, 2013 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the New York National Guard is hosting a “Hire Our Heroes” Job Fair on Wednesday, August 14 at the Farmingdale Armed Forces Reserve Center in Nassau County. The event will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and will feature 90 businesses that have committed to hire veterans and members of the Guard and Reserve.

“Too many of our veterans returning home after serving our country have struggled to find employment, which is why these career fairs are such important resources,” Governor Cuomo said. “The Hire Our Heroes program speaks for itself: it aims to connect companies looking to hire with these heroes who have put their lives on the line to protect our communities and defend our freedoms. Our veterans and service members bring valuable experience from their military backgrounds that can be a real asset to businesses here on Long Island. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I thank these men and women for their service, and I encourage local veterans to attend this job fair next Wednesday.”

 

The Farmingdale event is one of hundreds being held across the country co-sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other entities. The fair is designed to allow National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, military Reserve members, Active Duty service members, veterans and military spouses to submit applications to prospective employers and also learn how to use job-hunting tools. Similar events in New York have already been held in New York City, Buffalo, Binghamton, Rochester and Syracuse.

 

Almost 2.8 million Americans have served in the military since September 11, 2001 – more than 40 percent of whom are men between the ages of 25 and 34. According to figures released in July by the Department of Labor, the unemployment rate for all post-9/11 veterans stood at 7.4 percent, compared with the national rate of 7.2 percent for all Americans. Prior to these recent numbers, unemployment for post 9/11 veterans had been running at approximately 12 percent.

 

According to U.S. Census figures New York State is home to almost a million veterans, more than 67,000 of whom live in Nassau County. The unemployment rate for Nassau County veterans is 10.3 percent.

 

Major General Patrick Murphy, the Adjutant General of New York, will speak at the event.

 

"The New York National Guard is partnering with the US Chamber of Commerce in hosting these job fairs because we want to ensure that our Citizen Soldiers, both present and past, have an opportunity to have jobs," said Murphy. "This makes our Soldiers, Airmen and all our veterans’ productive citizens."

 

The Hiring Our Heroes employment workshop consists of a classroom session beginning one hour prior to the hiring fair followed by human resources professionals conducting one-on-one mentoring sessions with all pre-registered participants. Mentoring sessions focus on resume writing and interviewing techniques for all job-seeking veteran and service member participants.

 

During the previous event in New York City, 108 employers conducted 710 interviews with job seekers and made offers to 90 of those veterans at the event.

 

So far the Hire our Heroes effort has resulted in more than 100,000 veterans, Guard members, Reservists and military spouses finding jobs, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The goal of the campaign is to find jobs for 500,000 veterans, Guard Soldiers and Airmen, reservists and military spouses.

 

To help Citizen Soldiers and Airmen connect with employers who want to hire military veterans, the New York National Guard has created the New York National Guard Job Zone program. Retired military members help Guard Soldiers and Airmen understand how their military skills apply in the civilian workplace and also help employers understand what military veterans bring to the marketplace.

 

The Job Zone webpage alerts Guard members to potential jobs and links to websites they can use to help them explain their military acquired skills and experience to civilian employers.

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