Gov. Heineman Promotes Hiring Our Heroes Initiative Helping Military Members Seeking Employment Opportunities

(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman today announced the upcoming Hiring Our Heroes job fair in Omaha on June 12. The Hiring Our Heroes initiative is the cooperative effort between the United States Chamber of Commerce, the Nebraska Department of Labor and the Nebraska National Guard. This initiative helps veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment in Nebraska. “We are proud to be a part of this initiative to help veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment here in Nebraska,” said Gov. Dave Heineman. “There are approximately 4,700 Army and Air National Guardsmen and women in Nebraska and thousands more Nebraskans serve in the U.S. Reserves and active military. The enthusiasm surrounding Hiring Our Heroes shows that the courage and sacrifice demonstrated by these men and women has not gone unnoticed.” Current and former military members bring sought-after skills to the workforce. Nebraska’s veterans and their spouses are invited to the upcoming Hiring Our Heroes job fair in Omaha. The event will be held on Wednesday, June 12 at the DC Centre from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Various sponsors, including military groups and media partners, are working to ensure the success of these events. There are 90 employers registered for the fair, representing a wide array of job opportunities. “I am continually impressed by the support from employers and organizations across the state,” said Cathy Lang, Director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and Commissioner of the Nebraska Department of Labor.  “Their commitment makes these events successful.” “I would like to thank Gov. Heineman, the Nebraska Department of Labor, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and everyone else involved for their continued interest in this important effort to connect our service members and their families with employers,” said Maj. Gen. Judd Lyons, Nebraska Adjutant General. “Our Nebraska National Guardsmen and women possess important skills like leadership, problem-solving, an ability to work under pressure and time management. Employers desire and value these skills.” “The same can be said for Nebraska’s military spouses who take on numerous additional responsibilities and hone their skills while their loved ones are deployed. They, too, bring tremendous qualities that today’s employers need.” Since the first event held in Lincoln last April, there have been nine Hiring Our Heroes events throughout the State. These job fairs have been held in Lincoln, Omaha, Norfolk, Alliance, Holdrege, Papillion, Beatrice and Grand Island. These events have served around 1,300 veterans and 400 employers. Since Sept. 11, 2001, thousands of Nebraska servicemen and women have served around the world, including duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans, as members of the Nebraska National Guard, the U.S. Reserves and active military. Among these thousands of Nebraska service members are the more than 1,300 Nebraska Army National Guard Soldiers who have returned home to Nebraska from overseas deployments since January 2011. More information about these events can be found online at  www.hoh.greatjob.net  and http:// www.dol.nebraska.gov.