JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Veterans and servicemembers seeking a career in the civilian sector can start registering for the Hiring Our Heroes transition summit and job fair July 12-13 at the Sam Houston Community Center, building 1395, at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.
The job summit and fair is free and open to all JBSA veterans and transitioning service members. The opening day schedule includes industry sector briefings for job seekers, starting at 9 a.m., and a networking reception for employers and job seekers at 5 p.m. On the second day, beginning at 9 a.m., there will be workshops, interactive forums and panel discussions for job seekers, military and distinguished speakers, and a job fair from 1 to 4 p.m.
The Hiring Our Heroes job summit and fair is being put on by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Transition Assistance Program, or TAP, at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston. Hiring Our Heroes is a program of the chamber foundation to help transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses to find employment opportunities. TAP provides counseling and job assistance to servicemembers who are preparing to leave the military.
To register, go to http://hiringourheroes.org/events. For information on the summit and fair, call 210-221-9255.
Vance said job seekers will get to meet local, state and national employers from various industries and career fields and representatives from federal, state and local agencies. Industries and career fields represented at the summit and fair will include information technology, medical, cyber security, law enforcement and banking and finance.
In addition, Vance said job seekers will get to attend informative briefings and participate in panel discussions on topics related to career fields.
“They will hear from people from various industries and get relevant and current information on hiring trends, the job market, interviews, resumes, etc.,” Vance said. “They will be prepared for what they will see in the civilian job market. It’s a neat concept because you get to hear from industry professionals and then prepare yourself to attend a job fair the next day. It’s definitely an event you want to take the time to take advantage of.”
Workshops for job seekers include how to utilize Linkedin, the online business and employment focused social networking service, to search for a job and a demonstration of an online resume engine.
On the second day of the summit and fair, Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle, 502nd Air Base Wing and JBSA commander, will give the welcoming remarks. The keynote speaker will be Ruth Hughs, a commissioner with the Texas Workforce Commission.
Giving the closing remarks will be Col. Mark Lee, 502nd ABW and JBSA deputy commander. In his remarks, Lee, a transitioning service member himself, will give his perspectives on the transition process.
The first Hiring Our Heroes job summit and fair held at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston was in December 2015. The event included 78 employers with 450 job seekers attending the fair, where employers conducted 372 interviews and 83 job offers were made, according to Vance.