US urges businesses to organize job fairs in honor of Veterans' Day

U.S. Department of Labor For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs Oct. 17, 2007
Washington, D.C. Contact: Brad Mitchell Scott Allen
Release Number: 07-1538-NAT-Chicago Phone: 312-353-4807 312-353-6976

For Veterans’ Day, U.S. Department of Labor encourages employers to participate in 25-day, nationwide ‘blitz’ of job fairs
November 9 event in Chicago one of 92 nationwide

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In observance of Veterans’ Day, the U.S. Department of Labor today announced plans for a 25-day blitz of 92 veterans’ job fairs to be held in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico between Oct. 23 and Nov. 16, including a Nov. 9 event at Richard J. Daley College, 7500 S. Pulaski Rd., in Chicago.

“The qualities America’s soldiers are known for – discipline, strong work ethic, leadership and technical skills – are in high demand by employers,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, “These job fairs are an important part of our effort to help America’s soldier transition back to civilian life when their tour of duty ends and a tremendous opportunity for employers looking for great workers.”

Employers looking for excellent job candidates either for immediate or future hire are encouraged to attend the Chicago Job Fair for Veterans. Interested employers can contact Luis Gonzalez or Floyd States at the Illinois Department of Employment Security, 312-814-3143, to learn more.

“The United States military is the finest, most technologically advanced in the world,” said Charles S. Ciccolella, assistant secretary of labor for the department’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS). “Our nation invests billions of dollars annually to train America’s armed forces, instilling and developing valuable hard skills in our service members. Equally important are the skills service members learn, such as loyalty, discipline, selflessness, leadership, and the ability to follow instructions and perform under pressure. These are all inherent to the military culture. The HireVetsFirst campaign is about increasing employer awareness of the skills veterans bring to their businesses, and to encourage employers to hire veterans, not just out of a sense of patriotism, but because it makes good sense for employers who want to grow their businesses.”

A list of job fair locations by state and more information about the HireVetsFirst campaign are available at www.hirevetsfirst.gov. For more information on all the veterans’ employment programs offered by VETS, visit www.dol.gov/vets.

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