By Donna Hales
Some unemployed veterans could walk away Tuesday from a Veterans Job Fair and Business Opportunities Summit here with a federal job.
“Some veterans are to be hired on the spot,” said veteran John Bennett, a patient advocate for severely injured Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
Veterans hoping to walk out of the Job Fair with a government job should bring:
• DD 214 (discharge papers).
• Resume.
• Civil Service Preference letter, “which the regional office can print off for them in two seconds,” Bennett said.
Unemployed veterans and non-veterans are invited to the event hosted by Workforce Oklahoma, said Don Nichols. He is veteran employment officer for the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a sponsor of the event.
Veterans are to arrive at the fair by 9:30 a.m. Non-veterans should come at 10:30 a.m.
There are enough vendors to fill the Civic Center arena and spill out into the hallways, organizers said.
“Employers will be there with job openings, with at least 72 vendors participating,” said Garner, programs manager for the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
“Finding employment for veterans is crucial right now, because they’re coming back during a recession.”
There will be computers on site to fill out applications for federal and state jobs. Employers at the fair won’t just be from Muskogee.
The most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows 968,000 veterans are unemployed, compared with 807,000 last year.
“The data also shows an alarming 18.3 percent unemployment rate for veterans between the ages of 20 to 24,” said Steve Buyer, ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.
Federal agencies such as the Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security, Census Bureau and health care organizations and small businesses from northeast Oklahoma will attend to assess employment candidates.
Bill Elmore, associate secretary of the Small Business Administration will be at the Job Fair, as well as Eric Montgomery, regional director for Veteran Employment in San Antonio.
“He made a commitment to hire 500 vets in the next three years,” Don Nichols said.
“We want to provide every opportunity we can for them, said Sharon Nichols, business services and outreach coordinator for Eastern Workforce Investment Board.
The federal government and many employers are now insisting job applications be filled and submitted on the Internet, Don Nichols said.
That can be confusing for some applicants — and how to do that will be addressed with support from the event. There will be two, one-hour sessions on applying online and finding information to start your own business.
“We want to make every possible attempt to make them job ready,” Sharon Nichols said.
Kathy Durland, a veteran employment representative at Workforce Oklahoma, said so many young veterans with families to feed have no job to come home to.
She’s convinced those who attend the Job Fair will find it worth their while.
If you go
WHAT: Free Veterans Job Fair and Business Opportunities Summit. Includes health screenings for vets.
WHERE: Muskogee Civic Center, 425 Boston St.
WHEN: Tuesday 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Open to veterans at 9:30 a.m.)
WHO: Unemployed veterans and non-veterans.
TRANSPORTATION:
Muskogee County, 682-1721 for reservations for a free ride from the Muskogee County Transit on county routes. All city and county bus routes will be free Tuesday.
Call your KIBOIS Area Transit System for reservations for free rides to Muskogee Job Fair by Feb. 15 for pick-up times:
Tahlequah, 453-1155
Okmulgee, 752-0070
Sallisaw, 775-7433
Coweta, 486-1783
Porter, 483-0050
Checotah, 473-2388
Eufaula, 689-1020
Veterans wanting transportation from Tulsa to Muskogee, call the DAV, 628-2607.
Seminars at Job Fair: How to Apply for a Federal Job, Exploring Entrepreneurship, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People; Interviewing with Confidence, Volunteering for Success; How to Prepare a Resume, Obtain a Small Business Administration Loan/How to Register at CCR, and Investment and Finances 101 — Rules of the Road.
INFORMATION: Call the National Service Officer for Purple Heart, Muskogee Regional Office, 781-7767 or www.VetsJobs.net or e-mail Admin@VetsJobs.net.
