2 Tulsa-area job fairs planned for National Guard members
BY JERRY WOFFORD World Staff Writer
Friday, November 30, 2012
11/30/12 at 5:03 AM
Two career fairs in a week are aimed at providing employment opportunities to veterans, National Guard members and their families.
The first is scheduled for Saturday at the Sand Springs Armed Forces Reserve Center, 7520 W. 41st St. The fair will run from 9 a.m. to noon. Registration begins at 9 a.m.
More than 20 employers with immediate job openings are expected to attend.
The career fair is sponsored by the Oklahoma National Guard's Employment Coordination Program, which started as soldiers with the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team began to return from the 2011-2012 deployment to Kuwait and Afghanistan.
About one-third of the 3,000 soldiers returning from that deployment were unemployed or underemployed when they arrived back in the state, officials said. So far, the program has helped to place more than 250 Oklahoma Guard members in jobs.
The second career fair is scheduled for Tuesday at Central Park Hall at Expo Square, 4503 E 21st St.
The "Hiring our Heroes" job fair is expected to include more than 75 employers and is open to veterans and military spouses.
The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Interested job seekers are asked to register at tulsaworld.com/hoh Walk-in job seekers are also allowed, and must show a valid military ID.
The Hiring our Heroes event is part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American Legion's goal to find employment for 500,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2014. More than 370 Hiring our Heroes events have been held across the nation, resulting in 14,000 employment placements.
The latest jobs numbers from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate for veterans was at 6.3 percent in October, lower than the national rate of 7.9 percent. However, the unemployment rate for veterans who fought in the most recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan was at 10 percent in October.
Original Print Headline: 2 Tulsa-area job fairs planned for National Guard members
Jerry Wofford 918-581-8310
jerry.wofford@tulsaworld.com
