Friends of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

July 11, 2012
Ventura County Star
Cheri Carlson

Padraig Martin has spent the better part of a year sending out applications and resumes and applying for jobs online.

An equipment operator in the Navy, he wants to know he has a way to support his family when he leaves the military — a date that seems to be approaching quickly.

"I'm separating here Oct. 1 and I'm frantically trying to find a job," said Martin, who decided to leave the military after the birth of his first child. He has deployed three times, twice to Afghanistan, and wants to stay closer to his family.

He was one of scores of job seekers at a hiring fair Tuesday at Naval Base Ventura County. The event was organized by the Navy and U.S. Chamber of Commerce to help bridge the gap between veterans and potential employers.

National surveys show the overall unemployment rate has dropped this year, but among some groups of veterans, the jobless number remains disproportionately high.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last year that the unemployment rate reached nearly 30 percent for male veterans ages 18-24. The rate among nonveterans in the same age group was 17.6 percent.

Reasons for the gap vary, but numerous agencies are trying to help, including the chamber and its Hiring Our Heroes program that has held 130 job fairs in its first year.

"It's been a big challenge for them entering the job market. You have so many service members who have gone on so many deployments, which has made it unsteady for them to retain a job in the civilian sector. They're gone a year, home a year-and-a-half, gone another year," said Kathryn Poynton, a deputy director with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"They haven't had that ability or chance to grow within a company because they haven't had the seniority or longevity within that company," she said. "Then you also have the military spouses who are married to active-duty soldiers who move around all over the place."

Stephanie Arbogast was one of the military spouses at Tuesday's job fair. She considers herself lucky because her company allowed her to work from home, letting her keep her job as a recruiter after she and her husband were transferred to Ventura County recently.

They leave for San Diego at the end of the summer, and she isn't expecting a big issue. But "if I do decide to change careers or change jobs, it will be a serious issue," she said.

Tuesday's event also was organized by the Navy's Shipmates to Workmates program, set up about a year ago in response to planned reductions among ranks. Officials wanted to help those leaving, said Cmdr. Pat Sanders.

Nearly 3,000 sailors with seven to 15 years of service will have to separate, most by Sept. 1, he said. That includes 60 to 70 personnel at Naval Base Ventura County.

Along with helping on job fairs, the program offers resources such as access to employment counselors. Military candidates must learn to compete in the civilian job market, translating skills gained in the service, Sanders said.

Martin said his job should transfer more easily to civilian work than some others. Whether in peace or war, he ultimately operates equipment.

"We've gone to Afghanistan ... but the job itself — my technical skill — transfers over," he said.

At the base Tuesday, 235 job seekers participated in the five-hour fair that included 63 businesses and agencies, Poynton said. The fairs not only avoid competition from the nonmilitary public but also attract agencies specifically looking to hire veterans.

On Tuesday, employers from the FBI to Macy's had tables set up alongside local groups such as Amgen and the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

A lot of good candidates stopped by the Haas Automation Inc. table, said Rick Early, who leads recruiting efforts for the Oxnard-based machine tooling company. The candidates had discipline and years of relevant experience, he said. The company had five interviews set up just a few hours into the fair.

"We like to hire veterans," Early said. "It's a big push for us."

 

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