Rhode Island job fair needs more space
Hiring Our Heroes Job Fair at the Warwick National Guard Armory in Warwick, R.I., on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Photo by Stew Milne/The American Legion

Rhode Island job fair needs more space

Here’s a sign of how popular the annual Military Hiring Fair in Warwick, R.I., has become — there wasn’t enough space for all the employers interested in coming to this year’s event.

“We had 31 employers who wanted to be here. So we’re going to look for a bigger space,” Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian said at Tuesday’s hiring event at the Warwick National Guard Armory.

Avedisian cited Hiring for Heroes’ success — over 27,000 hires at 4,000 events nationwide over the last four years — as a big reason for expanding the local event.

Steve McAllister, senior manager at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, noted that last year’s event in Warwick sparked 36 same-day hires. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said he wanted to see that figure doubled, and Avedisian said he’s looking forward to 144 same-day hires.

While noting that they didn’t want to turn any employers away, Jeremy Tolleson, veterans service representative for the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, said the lure of the event represented something of an ideal situation.

“The event itself has that much of a draw to it that employers know they need to get here. … it goes to show that they value the job seekers, the veterans in particular, that are getting out there and are trying to find those jobs that are open that they know are out there, but they’re not really sure how to connect to them,” Tolleson said.

Reed called the event a “win-win” for employers and job seekers alike.

Part of the Hiring Our Heroes program through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the hiring event was presented in partnership with the Rhode Island National Guard, Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Providence VA Medical Center, Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce and others, including The American Legion.

In addition to the hiring fair for veterans, servicemembers and military spouses, the event included a workshop to help job seekers with resumes and interviews, as well as a brunch and learn workshop for employers focusing on best practices for recruiting, hiring and retaining veterans and military spouses.

“I can tell you that employers and veterans alike say that this is one of the job fairs that they love because they know that every group here has at least two jobs available today,” Avedisian said. “So it’s meaningful, it’s actually tangible, it’s not just a question of handing a resume and hoping that somebody calls in the future.”

Brig. Gen. Arthur Floru of the state National Guard encouraged the veterans to “answer the call again.”

“We asked you to answer the call once to defend America, and now we ask you to answer the call again taking these important jobs and keeping America at the forefront of industrial expertise,” Floru said.

Tolleson said events like this are critical for employer and job seekers alike.

“The employers have an opportunity to not only get their name and their brand and their company out there, but also to sit one-on-one and explain what types of positions they’re looking for. So they’re able to get out here and communicate what their biggest demand is; job seekers are able to get out here and see what employers are really looking for. So (job seekers) can shape their career path either to where the demand is going or what the employer needs are,” Tolleson said.