By Blair Dupre
Fort Cavazos Public Affairs
FORT CAVAZOS, Texas –The Fort Cavazos Transition Assistance Program, in partnership with the Texas Veterans Leadership Program, the Texas Veterans Commision, Army Community Service, the Texas Workforce Commission and the United Service Organization, hosted the very first Spouses Career Fair June 27 here at the Phantom Warrior Center.
There were 46 different employers representing a plethora of career opportunities, including teaching, business administration and law enforcement. Jerry Hernandez, marketing manager for TAP, said all of the organizations were excited to support the spouses and families at Fort Cavazos.
“These companies and organizations understand and support our military families and spouses,” he said. “They understand the vast experience and talent that they can contribute to their companies. Our spouses range from professional, paraprofessional to mid and entry level in the private and/or governmental sectors. Their experience and education are in the career fields of finance, healthcare, education, administration, human resources, social services, communication, hospitality, marketing and transportation, distribution and logistics and engineering.”
Hernandez said the job fair was the result of the Military Spouse Employment Round Table on March 1, where spouses expressed a need for help in exploring job opportunities in the area. Gabriel Lopez, assistant director of the Texas Veterans Leadership Program with the Texas Workforce Commission, was ready to help with the event.
“We identified that there was a need to do a career fair specifically for spouses,” Lopez said. “Of course, everybody is welcome, but this is designed (for spouses),” Lopez said. “We want spouses to come in and make sure that there is a place for them. Hopefully this will grow into an annual event where the partnership between the Texas Workforce Commision, Fort Cavazos Transition Assistance Program and the Army Community Service come together and put this together.”
Lopez said it’s a great feeling to be involved with the brand new Spouses Career Fair and he hopes to continue filling needs where they arise.
“We’re filling in the gaps and we have grown from just getting a job for a veteran,” Lopez said. “It’s been growing progressively and now we can bring the whole family. This is where we are filling in the gaps. The Texas Workforce Commission is working continuously every day; we keep that mission in mind, how do we help our veteran community and military spouses.”
Hernandez said he felt the event was a success and hopes to see it turn into an annual event.
“We were located at the entrance doors and received a lot of positive feedback, good leads and they were going to go home and apply online immediately,” Hernandez said. “One individual stated she had two job offers.”
For more information on events TAP is hosting, visit https://www.facebook.com/FortCavazosTransitionAssistanceProgram/.
