State kicks off 2017 Hire-a-Vet campaign with job fair
Photo / Maine Bureau of Veteran Services
Veterans crowded the Augusta Armory Tuesday morning, talking to more than 140 business owners and other employers who'd set up booths at the job fair launching the state's Hire-a-Vet campaign.
Hundreds of veterans crowded the Augusta Armory Tuesday morning, talking to more than 140 business owners and other employers who’d set up booths at the job fair launching the state’s Hire-a-Vet campaign.
The goal of the campaign is to for 100 veterans in the state to be hired within 100 days. The program is under the direction of the Maine Department of Labor.
Tuesday’s potential employers included most of the state’s law enforcement agencies, other state agencies, and companies including Hancock Lumber, Bath Iron Works, TD Bank and Texas Instruments, the Kennebec Journal reported.
Adria Horn, director of the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services and a U.S. Army veteran, in her opening remarks told attendees that veterans make up about 10% of the state’s population. But she also noted that it’s hard for veterans to find jobs, because they may lack the experience that those who went right into the job market rather than join the military have, according to Kennebec Journal.
As part of the campaign, the labor department offers services for veterans and eligible members of their families, as well as incentives for employers, to help make the job search easier.
According to the Maine Department of Labor, last year’s Hire-a-Vet campaign netted jobs for 197 veterans, hired by 147 employers at an average wage of $22.23 an hour.
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