Senator Mark Kirk Connects Illinois Veterans with Employers at Veterans Job Fair

Kirk Connects Illinois Veterans with Employers at Veterans Job Fair

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. –(ENEWSPF)–August 18, 2016. U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today hosted an Illinois Veterans Employment and Resource Fair at the University of Illinois in Champaign to give veterans the opportunity to meet with representatives from some of Illinois’ largest employers as well as leading veteran service organizations for VA assistance and resume development. During the event, Senator Kirk met with veterans, including Mike Price and Garrett Anderson, to discuss the challenges of transitioning from military service to civilian life and initiatives that will help veterans find a job. Price served 4 years in the Marines in Iraq and is from Medora, Illinois. Price attended Senator Kirk’s fair to help him find a long term career to provide for his family. Anderson, who was injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) during his service and lost an arm, served in the United States Army from 1998-2006 and is attending the University of Illinois to receive his masters in Rehabilitation Counseling as part of the Chez Family Foundation Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education, who was also in attendance at the fair.

“The best way to take care of a veteran is to help them find a job,” said Senator Kirk. “The servicemen and servicewomen of Illinois are some of the most hardworking individuals that our nation has to offer. With the right resources and guidance, our veterans can become some of the best employees this country has seen.”

Senator Kirk has continued to stress the importance of veteran hiring in Illinois and has continually partnered with Illinois colleges and employers to expand veteran job training and hiring. According the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Illinois veterans experience a higher rate of unemployment than the National average, with 5.8 percent of post-9/11 veterans unemployed throughout the state in 2015.

“I think the importance of having a job fair for veterans is to give servicemen and servicewomen the opportunity to know that companies are interested in hiring veterans,” said Anderson. “A lot of veterans here are fresh out of the military and don’t know exactly where to go. I would like to thank Senator Kirk for hosting this job fair for our veterans.”

“I want to thank Senator Kirk for creating this opportunity for veterans, like me, to find a career,” said Price. “I am here today not just to find a job, but to find a long term way to support my family.”

In 2012, Senator Kirk and Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) established the Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus that seeks to create solutions for the challenges Active Duty, Reserve and Guard members face as they transition to civilian life.

Participating businesses and organizations included: