Veterans assistance
need not be a battle

By Lauren Fritsky
Times Staff Writer

The recent Veterans Day holiday honored the men and women who’ve protected the country.
But on other days of the year, many of the more than 318,000 military members who return to civilian status annually are left feeling unprotected in the job world.
That’s why the United States Department of Labor collaborated with Pennsylvania CareerLink, a comprehensive human-resources facility, to hold the Veterans of Military Service Career Expo at the Pennsylvania National Guard Armory on Southampton Road last Thursday. The event is one of dozens of job fairs the labor department is hosting across the country this month in honor of Veterans Day.
More than 40 companies and agencies set up booths where veterans could get information or drop off an application or resume. They included Holy Redeemer Health System, the Philadelphia Police Department, Southwest Airlines and several federal agencies.
For a veteran, finding a job can be tough for several reasons. First, there’s acclimating to civilian life after experiencing the rigidity of being in the military or the trauma of being in war. Some veterans may not know how to transfer their military skills to other jobs. For others, the military has been their only career.
"Maybe they worked at McDonald’s before their service, and they don’t want to do that," said Rick Schaffer, a veterans employment and training representative with the department of labor.
Or, maybe they started careers that they’re now unable to fulfill, like Angelo Siano of Bridesburg. Currently stationed at the Southampton Road armory, Siano entered the Police Academy just before the Iraq war began. Now, at age 44, he exceeds the age requirement to go into the police force.
"It was like a dream of mine," he said of becoming a police officer.
The police department’s age limit sometimes eliminates a strong pool of potential applicants, since veterans are often already in top shape and possess the skills necessary for police work.
"You have a lot of veterans that want to apply," said police officer Jonathan Ramos, who works as a recruiter.
CareerLink, which serves the entire civilian workforce, helps vets like Siano by reaching out to them when they return from service with offers of employment preparation and job placement.
"A lot of veterans come back and don’t know we have these services," said Ray Bates, a veterans employment representative with the state Department of Labor and Industry.
Other agencies at the event also help with job preparation and placement. A military leaders unit, for instance, specializes in the recruiting and placement of military personnel, including officers and enlisted, veterans and retirees, into the civilian job market.
"We help vets make the transition to civilian life," said recruiter Cathy Long.
The SCORE association, whose local office serves residents of the Northeast, Bucks County and New Jersey, counsels veterans and civilians alike on how to start a small business. The company offers free business counseling and low-cost seminars and workshops.
Sean Fox, a mechanic from Pennsburg, Montgomery County, returned from serving in Iraq last year but worries about matching his skills to the needs of the civilian job market. The expo, he hoped, would give him and his wife, who’s also in the military, some leads.
"There’s plenty of info, plenty of opportunities," he said. ••
For more information, call the local CareerLink office at 215-557-2665 or visit the office on the Web at www.pacareerlink.state.pa.us