'This and That' job fair highlights connection between military and civilian work
Military and civilian life can at times feel like two different worlds, but the Iowa National Guard, IowaWORKS and Home Base Iowa are working to bridge that gap.
The organizations are partnering to host a career fair, which will offer attendees the opportunity to see the strong connections between military and civilian work in some of today's most high-demand fields.
The "This and That" career event will connect attendees with employers in transportation, construction, telecommunications, law enforcement and health care industries, according Jesse Dougherty of Iowa Workforce Development.
Employer demonstrations will focus on the equipment used in each field, highlighting the similarities between military and civilian work experiences, according to a news release.
The event brings together three different organizations focused on improving veterans' and civilians' access to work opportunities.
IowaWORKS is a government employment service that offers resume help, job training and one-on-one career counseling. Home Base Iowa assists veterans and their spouses in transitioning to new communities through workforce development and through connecting them with new career opportunities. Through this partnership, the Iowa National Guard is seeking to showcase the skillsets of Iowans who serve, according to the release.
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“Iowa National Guard members spend their time in uniform accumulating a wide range of highly valuable skills,” Jathan Chicoine, program manager for Home Base Iowa, said in a news release. “This event is an opportunity for service members to explore how they get the most out of those skills in the civilian workforce. We also want to remind the public about the wide a variety of meaningful training and skills that you can acquire when you join the military — skills that you can carry with you throughout an entire career.”
The event will be held this Saturday, Sept. 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Camp Dodge in Johnston. The first half hour of the event will be reserved for veterans, according to Dougherty.
A flyer for the event is available at Iowa Workforce Development's website, iowaworkforcedevelopement.gov.
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Francesca Block is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at FBlock@registermedia.com or on Twitter at @francescablock3.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa job fair at Camp Dodge shows military, civilian work similarities
