When state labor officials hear of a job opening, their first priority is to see if a military veteran qualifies for it. A federal act in the early 1930s established the practice of giving vets who are transitioning into the civilian workforce the first crack at a job, but in this economy, it’s been tough.
Mike Daniels at Tennessee’s Labor and Workforce Department tries to find jobs for vets and over the years has helped set up a series of job fairs across the state for them in November. This year, he says the career centers couldn’t find enough companies hiring.
“They would send out 30-40 invitations and only get one or two employers that really felt they could, in good faith, come and say they had job opportunities available. It’s just a bad time and we can’t fix it just because our heart is in the right place.”
Daniels says the job fairs at Tennessee’s 15 Career Centers turned into a veteran’s appreciation day or a workshop on either resume writing or increasing job skills.
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