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This is Chris Redgrave for Zions Bank Speaking on Business.
Sometimes when we think about the military, we think about their service overseas; however, we may not recognize their needs when they return from active duty. How are they being taken care of from a career standpoint or supported in the community?
The Department of Defense estimates that in the next five years, anywhere from half a million to a million military members will be released from active duty. So, what happens to these service men and women once they come back? As a community, it's important to make sure we support our veterans, especially with the military impact in Utah in the billions.
As of the end of June 2013, there were just under 5,000 veterans receiving unemployment assistance who averaged almost 15 weeks unemployed. That's why the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will be holding a Hiring Our Heroes event tomorrow, on Wednesday, October 30.
The Hiring Our Heroes job fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy. This is a job fair for veteran job seekers, active duty military members, guard and reserve members and military spouses. And it's free for both employers and job seekers. Companies at the fair will be actively recruiting.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce started the Hiring Our Heroes program in March 2011 with the idea of it becoming an initiative throughout the country. Since the program launched, they've held 610 fairs in all 50 states, including the one tomorrow at the South Towne Expo Center. This year they're working to develop digital resources to complement the hiring fairs and better address the employment issues facing veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses.
With such a strong military presence in Utah, it makes sense for us to have a Hiring Our Heroes job fair here. Utah is home to over 151,000 veterans, who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. For more information or to check on upcoming fairs, visit uschamber.com/hiringourheroes.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
Hiring Our Heroes South Towne Expo Center 9575 S. State Sandy, UT www.uschamber.com/hiringourheroes
