Hiring Our Heroes 2013

 The Flagstaff Chamber is involved in a national effort to expose veterans, active duty military members, National Guard and Reserve members and military spouses to careers in Northern Arizona, and local businesses are urged to get involved.

The “Hiring Our Heroes” job fair will be on Wednesday, March 6 from 9 am to Noon at the American Legion Post 3, 204 W. Birch Ave.

Hiring Our Heroes was launched in 2011 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as it became obvious that returning veterans - often with skills and leadership capacity that fit many job vacancies - had little opportunity to access businesses. Working with partners, mostly state and local chambers, the effort has resulted in more than 400 hiring fairs per year.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce statistics show that while the unemployment rate in America for post-9/11 veterans has decreased from 12.1% in 2011 to just above 10% over the past 12 months, it remains stubbornly above the national average. According to the Huffington Post, those numbers are worse for younger vets - the unemployment rate for veterans between 18 and 24 exceeded 20 percent last year. Military spouse unemployment weighed in at nearly 26%.

Interested businesses with available jobs can register for free at hoh.greatjob.net. Job seekers should also register at the site to guarantee admission. Walk-ins are welcome, but space is not guaranteed until you register.

In addition to the Flagstaff Chamber, American Legion and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, this hiring event is being sponsored by the Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (DOL VETS), the Arizona Committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Arizona Work Force Connection, Arizona Department of Economic Security, NBC News, and other local partners.