‘We owe it’ to nation’s veterans: PHOTOS

MORGANTOWN — The West Virginia University Erickson Alumni Center was filled with heroes on Wednesday.

These particular men and women are heroes because they fought for our country at some point and are now veterans.

Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., held his fourth annual Veterans Job Fair on Wednesday, which was for veterans of all ages.

McKinley feels it’s his duty to help these men and women in any way possible.

 “Helping veterans find jobs is simply the right thing to do,” McKinley said. “This event (brought) together hardworking and skilled veterans with prospective employers looking to hire.”

About 75 vendors registered for the event, and a few more signed up at the door, meaning there were about 80 vendors total. Some companies even had multiple positions they were looking to fill.

“We had someone in here from Grant County, and they had 22 slots they wanted to fill. Can we fill maybe three or four of them, maybe. Maybe we’ll fill all 22,” McKinley said.

Vendors came from all over West Virginia to talk to and interview some of the veterans.

Jeremy Mitchem, senior human recourses representative for Pratt Whitney, was just one vendor on hand.

Mitchem said this wasn’t the first time Pratt Whitney attended one of McKinley’s job fairs. Pratt Whitney does not currently have any open positions, but Mitchem said they are always looking to talk to new people.

“At this point in time we don’t have any positions open, but we’re always looking for new talent,” Mitchem said.

Representatives from Pratt Whitney attend many job fairs throughout the year, but Mitchem said this is by far one of the fairs that they look forward to the most. This fair means so much to those at Pratt Whitney because a lot of the employees they have hired over the years are veterans.

“We have a large majority of our workforce who are veterans. It’s something you can’t put into words, and it’s an honor to enhance our workforce,” Mitchem said.

Ben Rabideau, a veteran of the United States Army, attended the job fair on Wednesday for the very first time.

He said he really enjoyed the event because it provided a convenient place to talk with multiple companies at one time.

“I love all of the career fairs because of the variety here,” Rabideau said. “The more convenient thing for me is that it narrows the field.”

Rabideau also enjoyed having the opportunity to mingle with other veterans. He said that seeing so many companies come out and support the veterans is a heartwarming feeling.

“It gives me butterflies. I wasn’t away from home as long as most veterans are, but it’s really nice to see the appreciation,” Rabideau said.

McKinley walked around the alumni center and talked to many of the veterans who attended. For him, this fair is the perfect opportunity to say thank you.

“Our veterans have sacrificed to ensure our safety and security,” McKinley said, “and we owe it to them to make every opportunity available.”

While the unemployment rate has improved over the years, there are still many people looking for work.

McKinley said he’s not sure why, but over the years it seems like a lot of those who are unemployed are veterans. That is why he created this event four years ago.

“All I want to do is help our veterans. I don’t know what happened, but veterans are running about one to one and a half percent higher than the state average,” McKinley said. “I don’t think most people in America can appreciate what our veterans have done for us. The least we can do is to help them find a job.”

McKinley also mentioned that Congress is trying to do more things to make it an incentive for companies across the country to hire a veteran.

Many West Virginians currently serve or have served the country in the past. McKinley said that when these men and women return home, he wants them to be able to find work.

This job fair was a team effort, and McKinley wanted to thank his staff for helping with this. He was thrilled to see so many employers come out on Wednesday and support this initiative.

Email Angelee Wiley at awiley@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @AWileyTWV.