Augusta CareerCenter?s Hiring Maine?s Heroes Job Fair Targets Veterans

March 15, 2013

General public encouraged to attend as well

For Immediate Release: March 15, 2013
Contact: Douglas Hudson, Augusta CareerCenter, 624-5156; Julie Rabinowitz, Department of Labor, 621-5009

General public encouraged to attend as well

AUGUSTA?The Hiring Maine?s Heroes Job Fair on March 20 at the Augusta Armory will feature special programs and information for veterans, members of the National Guard and the Reserves. Members of the public who are looking for work are also encouraged to attend.

The job fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Augusta Armory, 179 Western Avenue, Augusta, Maine. The event is co-sponsored by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) and the Augusta CareerCenter.

?Veterans deserve special thanks for the sacrifices they have made for our freedom,? said Governor Paul R. LePage. ?I encourage all Maine employers to learn about the benefits of hiring our heroes.?

A special workshop for interested employers will be held at 9 a.m. that focuses on using GI Bill benefits for apprenticeship and on-the-job training. The job fair will kick off at 9:45 a.m. with opening remarks from Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette and the Maine Adjutant General, Brigadier General James D. Campbell.

Organizations participating in the fair include: Air / Army Guard, American Legion, ABLE, AmeriCorps, Assistance Plus, Barclays, Bath Iron Works, Bonney Staffing, C.H. Stevenson Construction, Capital Area Staffing, Carbonite, Central Maine Power, Cianbro, Community Health & Counseling, ESM, Ganneston Construction, Goodwill Industries, HealthReach RSVP, IBEW 1253 Electricians Union, Togus VA, Job Corps, JobsinME.com, Kaplan University, Kelly Services, Kennebec County Corrections, Kennebec Valley Community College, L.L. Bean, Lowe's, Maine Bureau of Veteran Services, Maine Conservation Corps, Maine Military Community Network, Maine Staffing Group, Maine State Prison, Marketing Unlimited, Meierdirk Constructions Services, Merrymeeting Behavioral Health, Mid State Machine, Motivational Services, New Balance, Notify MD, NRF Distributors, Northeast Technical Institute, Performance Food Service, Pike Industries, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 716, Primerica, Sappi Fine Paper, Small Business Development Centers, TD Bank, T-Mobile, Tri-County Mental Health and Wal-Mart.

Attendees should bring a resume and should be prepared to have an ?interview-like? conversation with employers to discuss skills, knowledge areas and abilities. Job seekers should also be dressed for an interview.

?Job fairs highlight the different companies and jobs available in your area,? noted Commissioner Paquette. ?They?re great opportunities for veterans or any person thinking about making a change to talk to businesses and learn about the possibilities that a new job or career can open up for them. An important goal of the Department of Labor is to connect Mainers with good jobs.?

CareerCenters, part of the Maine Department of Labor, offer a variety of workshops and services to help people find employment or upgrade skills. Veterans receive priority for most Department of Labor programs. Each CareerCenter can connect veterans, including those with disabilities, with a number of training and career-related services.

Every CareerCenter provides several public-access computer workstations with Microsoft Office software, resume writing and cover letter software, Internet access and O?Net software for skills assessment. All CareerCenter services are free of charge.

Call 624-5120 (TTY users call Maine Relay 711) for additional information and to register for workshops held at the CareerCenter. The CareerCenter, located at 21 Enterprise Drive, Suite 2, in Augusta , is open 8 a.m.?5 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can also find more information at the CareerCenter website, http://www.mainecareercenter.com .

Maine CareerCenters are an equal opportunity provider. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.