Job fair marches in opportunities

FORT CAVAZOS, Texas - Hundreds of job seekers and employers came together for the Texas Workforce Commission's Hiring Red, White and You! Career Fair Nov. 6 at the Lone Star Conference Center at Fort Cavazos.

The career fair has provided an opportunity for veterans, transitioning military members and military spouses at Fort Cavazos to connect with potential employers in a range of fields, including law enforcement, education and technology on a scale of mom-and-pop shop to Tesla.

"(Employers) are so excited to meet with military veterans, military spouses, transitioning service members," said Amber Winter, communications and marketing manager for the Workforce Solutions of Central Texas. "They're so excited because it's such a unique set of talent. These people have such a unique set of skills that is needed - especially in Texas with the growing economy."

Hiring Red, White and You! is a statewide event hosted in 28 locations across the state, but hosting it on a military installation was made possible by the collaboration between the Workforce Solutions of Central Texas and the Fort Cavazos Transition Assistance Program.

"We've been partnering with them for three years," said Jerry Hernandez, marketing manager for TAP, adding he hoped 3,500 to 5,000 job seekers would attend.

Fort Cavazos TAP assists 800 Soldiers monthly, on average, in the transition from military to civilian life, and Hernandez said the program does the best it can to relieve as much stress as possible during that transition.

"We like to relieve that stress of finding your new job," Hernandez said.

Jadyn Moore, spouse of Pfc. Jerrod Moore, 1st Cavalry Division, said she and her husband arrived at Fort Cavazos two days before the job fair and she was eager to get involved.

"I am not a wife that can just sit around - I can't be still," she said. "We're fresh off the road, so I came in with the mindset, with the job fair, that it was going to be some type of opportunity here. Whether it's me going back to teaching or me finding a new career, I just wanted to give it a shot because it seemed like there were so many jobs and resources available for spouses. So I was, like, 'Why not?'"

Moore expressed she was initially nervous, coming in as a new resident, but realized she didn't need to worry.

"I've talked to a lot of people," she said. "It's very welcoming and definitely very inviting."

Owen Alexander, TAP liaison officer, said events like Hiring Red, White and You! connect the community with employers.

"The event is not only open to Soldiers," he said. "It's open to veterans. It's open to spouses. It's open to family members and, additionally, it's open to the community. Anyone in the community who has access to the installation can participate in the event and get exposed to the different opportunities that are available. Having events like this is important to keep transitioning Soldiers, veterans and other job seekers abreast with current positions and opportunities that are available."

For more information on the Fort Cavazos TAP, visit facebook.com/FortCavazosTransitionAssistanceProgram.

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