Pitt among employers at Veterans Employment Expo

Pitt’s Office of Veterans Services was one of many employers seeking veteran hires during… Pitt’s Office of Veterans Services was one of many employers seeking veteran hires during yesterday’s second annual Veterans Employment Expo in the David Lawrence Convention Center.

Although about 70 employers recruited during the expo, the large room in the convention center remained relatively empty — about 60 people showed up during the noon lunch hour.

According to Pitt’s Office of Veterans Services, there are about 33,000 veterans in the

Pittsburgh area, and 250 of them are Pitt students.

Juanita Chapman, one of the event’s key organizers, said, “We want to put veterans before employers because they are competing with the public in a difficult job market.”

Heather Frantz, another of the event’s organizers, said all of the employers had to have

positions available in order to attend the expo.

Veterans also had to register and show proof of service to participate.

Several types of employers were present, although there were the majority were governmental offices, including the IRS, the Veterans Administration, the Social Security Administration and The U.S. Department of Energy, among others.

In addition to the employers, several schools and vocational programs were represented — among them Triangle Tech, The Pittsburgh Technical Institute and the Kaplan Career

Institute.

Employers from branches of the armed forces also attended looking for people in office positions..

Jay Mackie, a representative of the U.S. Navy, said he was trying to recruit people to train officers and to inform veterans about the benefits for which they are eligible.

Jim Wolf, a representative from the Veterans Administration, attended the expo to give

recent veterans information about the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

“Veterans who served for at least 36 months of active duty after 9/11 are covered for

100 percent of their tuition at a state college or university, as well as a housing allowance,”

Wolf said.

Aside from the public firms, some private businesses such as Prudential, BNY Mellon, UPS and Duquesne Light also sent recruiters.

Kelly Scott, a representative from Manpower, a recruiting firm, said the firm was looking for

all kinds of people, from accountants to managers.

Some representatives said veterans were ideal hires because of their experience.

“Veterans have a good work ethic and discipline, which probably comes from the military training,” Scott said.

Brian Casey, a recruiter from Waddell & Reed Financial Advisors, said that veterans have

“unique life experiences to bring to the table.”

Nonetheless, for some the expo left something to be desired.

Kurt Hoffman, a veteran and Pitt Law student who finished his service in 2008 said, he did not see anyone hiring attorneys and,  “This economy is very tough for attorneys.”

The expo was sponsored by UPMC, Bombardier, Bettis & KAPL Laboratory and Pitt, among

others.