Veterans Job Fair is Feb. 16

By Eric Covey
TNE Senior Staff Writer

(Muskogee, OK)--The Military Order of the Purple Heart is extending a grateful hand to the nation's veterans by sponsoring the Veterans Job Fair and Business Opportunities Summit in Muskogee at the Civic Assembly on Feb.16 from 10:30-3 p.m.

Formed in 1932 for the protection and mutual interest of recipients of the decoration, the Military Order of the Purple Heart is the only veterans service organization exclusively comprising Purple Heart recipients.

The mission of the Military Order of the Purple Heart is to foster an environment of goodwill and camaraderie among wounded veterans, promote patriotism, support necessary legislative initiatives and provide service to all veterans and their families.

Led by Workforce Oklahoma, the event will assist veterans seeking employment and business opportunities. We want to provide every opportunity we can for them, said Sharon Nichols, business services and outreach coordinator for Eastern Workforce Investment Board.

Recently the Obama administration has pushed for agencies to hire returning veterans. This summit is held in cooperation with Rep. Dan Boren, Sen. Tom Coburn, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Labor, Northeastern State University and the Indian Capitol Technology Center.

There has been an ongoing campaign to hire veterans, and we have a number of federal agencies that are coming as well as state government agencies, said Kathy Durland, workforce service specialist with the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

Federal agencies such as the Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, the Census Bureau, as well as healthcare organizations and small businesses from northeast Oklahoma will visit to assess employment candidates.

Employers will be there with job openings, with over 50 vendors participating, said Patricia Garner, programs manager for Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

With social media increasing in complexity, many employers insist that job applications be filled and submitted on the Internet. This can be a confusing task for some. Applying for a job online will be addressed with support from the event. There will be two one-hour sessions on applying online and finding information to start your own business.

We want to make every possible attempt to make them job ready, Nichols said. So many have barriers to overcome when they come back mental, physical or financial issues. There are agencies to help them overcome such obstacles and those agencies will be here as well to help them.

For more information call 918-781-7767