Eighth Annual Statewide Veterans Hiring Event Supports Veterans and Their Spouses
LAREDO, Texas — For the eighth year, Workforce Solutions for South Texas (WSST) hosted the Hiring Red, White & You! Job Fair on Thursday, November 7, 2019, at the Falcon International Bank on 7718 McPherson Road.
The hiring fair is an initiative from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). WSST was joined by the Texas Veterans Commission and the Texas Veterans Leadership Program in the organization of the event to connect Veterans and their spouses in Texas with employers who are seeking the exceptional skills of Veterans, service members, and their spouses.
“We are proud to partner with Veterans and other state and local organizations to offer this service to our Veterans and their families,” said Rogelio Trevino, Executive Director for WSST. “At Workforce Solutions for South Texas Veterans will always receive priority of services offered.”
The event was also open to the public. The partnership gathered the attention of 40+ employers and providers, who participated at no cost during the job fair held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
According to TWC, over the past seven years, Hiring Red, White & You! has connected more than 84,153 job seekers, including 35,485 Veterans and 48,668 spouses, to 14,420 employers and over 2,027 same-day hires.
Before the event, the Texas Veterans Commission celebrated the “Career Preparation Workshops” to guide job seekers about their WorkInTexas account and résumé, besides helping them get ready with a Dress-4-Success class, interviewing techniques, and a 30 seconds speech.
“Workforce Solutions for South Texas is also very grateful to the employers/businesses that participated in the hiring event in offering job opportunities to our Veterans,” said Treviño. “The participating employers recognized that the Veterans returning to civilian life offer a multitude of skills and abilities that will be an asset to any organization.”
Employers who hire veterans may be eligible for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, which allows employers to receive up to $9,600 on federal business income or payroll tax benefits when they hire from certain qualified groups of veterans.