Job fair for vets and spouses set for Wednesday

Hiring our Heroes, a job fair sponsored by the American Legion and conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other organizations, will be held in Fallon next week.The job fair is slated for Jan. 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fallon Convention Center and is open to veteran job seekers, active-duty military, National Guard and Reserve members and military spouses.“Every type of employer will be there such as Walmart, Lowe’s Prudential, Verizon and government agencies,” said Virginia Carpenter, Western Region spokeswoman for the Chamber of Commerce.Other firms scheduled to attend are Airstream Renewable, Fastenal Company, First Command Financial Service, Infinity Hospice Care, Job News, Kinross Gold Mining and Newmont Mining, Northern Nevada Veterans Resource Service, Upper Limit Aviation and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.In addition to the American Legion and Chamber of Commerce sponsoring the job fairs, other agencies and organizations are lending a hand, including the Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, the Nevada Committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, NBC News, andother local partners.Dave Meyer, former president of the American Legion Post 16 in Fallon and now District 4 commander for Nevada, said every district is having a job fair. “We have 12 confirmed, but I am working with the base and a couple of businesses out of Fernley to attend,” Meyer said.Meyer said he has been contacting local businesses, including city and county governments, to have them participate in the job fair.Carpenter, who has been in the U.S. Air Force Reserve for 15 years, is responsible for most of the job fairs in the western states. She said the job fair is free for both employers and job seekers.“This fair is for veterans who served in any capacity,” Carpenter emphasized.She said most jobs fairs are held in larger communities but because of Naval Air Station Fallon, military personnel and their spouses can benefit from the information provided at the event. This job fair is the only one scheduled for Nevada. The next job fair nearest to the Silver State is Feb. 13 in Sacramento.Veterans and especially reservists have experienced high unemployment numbers, something Carpenter dislikes.“This is a problem we should to have in this country,” she added. Carpenter said if anyone needs assistance with registration, they should contact hiringourheroes@uschamber.com or call 202-463-3110.