First time job fair helps vets and reservists
Date: 7/11/2012
By G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.comCHICOPEE — By mid-morning on July 3, there were more than 75 veterans and active duty members of the military who had come to the Castle of Knights investigating employment opportunities at a first-time job fair designed just for them.
Kimberly Babin, the city's director of Veteran's Affairs, said that 29 employers were at the event with a documented 59 openings.
The participating businesses include Big Y Supermarkets, Prudential, Northwest Mutual, King Ward Bus Lines, Dave's Truck Repair, Chicopee Industrial Contractors, Hasbro, Reliable Temps, The Metalmen and East Baking Company.
Outside in the parking lot, the attendees could do additional searching in a customized trailer operated by the Hero2Hired program. Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) and the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program supports the unit.
The trailer with the job lab has been crisscrossing the country and came to Chicopee from Oregon, according to Bob Upton of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.
Babin said that the depth of the qualifications of the people who were there surprised some employers. Men and women in both uniforms and business suits, many of who had their resumes prepared, went from table to table discussing job openings.
Babin explained the job fair came about when one Chicopee business, Dave's Electronics, contacted the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce about hiring a vet. She hopes the job fair can be at least an annual event.
Geoff Gagnon of King Ward Coachlines said he had made a number of "good contacts" and said many of the people who inquired about the jobs for drivers had plenty of experience, just not the license.
"The experience is most important," Gagnon said.
Scott Szczebak, director of Chicopee Human Resources Department, was also collecting contacts. He said that while the city didn't have any job openings that day, there are usually several each week that are posted on the city's website at
www.chicopeema.gov.
Earl Bonett of ESGR said by law a business has to hold a job for a reservist who has been called to active service, but with the recession many reservists coming back from a deployment have found their job gone due to layoffs or business failure. Part of his job is to act as mediator in cases before they become formal in which military personnel believe they have lost a job unfairly.
"There's a lot of misinterpretation of the law," Bonett said.
The Hero2Hired program is designed to help members of the military translate their service education into qualifications for civilian jobs, Bonett said.
Inside the trailer there are four computer terminals at which vets can search a database of jobs and employers and see how their military experience can help them. Army Sgt. Major Wayne Bowser was leading several people through the program.
Hero2Hired is seeking businesses to register and be part of the program. Employers should go to
www.H2H.jobs/employers for more information.
