Hero2Hired Mobile Job Store visits Travis

  • Published
  • By Ellen Hatfield
  • 349th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Travis Air Force Base hosted a special visitor Feb. 12 and 13 when the Hero 2 Hired Mobile Job Store set up at the Base Exchange.

A program of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program and supported by the National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, the van was here to help Airmen and their families find jobs.

The mobile job store is just one element of the program. Although the goal is to reduce the number of Reserve service members who are unemployed, this visit couldn't have come at a better time, as the Air Force recently announced the force reduction of about 25,000 Airmen.

The H2H program uses high-tech and high-touch applications to link service members with military-friendly employers. It also helps with career preparation, such as interviewing, resume building, job searches, mentoring and networking. Airmen, spouses and children 18 or older can use the program, as well as veterans and those currently serving.

According to Art Alvarez Jr., employment transition coordinator, approximately 300 visitors stopped by the mobile job store in the two days it was at Travis. Visitors could watch videos, visit with H2H representatives and sign up or search jobs at one of four computer stations.

Craig Morris, Northern California ESGR chair, and van driver Daniel Hanna also were on hand to answer questions and help register people. Once someone registers, they are connected to a coordinator, such as Alvarez, who works with them from that point forward.

"Travis was well worth the visit," Alvarez said. "We had a great response. It was very successful. About 50 master sergeants alone came by and many registered. Last year, I helped 558 reservists find jobs, so this program works."

Morris said that while all ranks visit H2H, quite a number of their customers are colonels and other officers.

"It's not aimed at any particular group. We just want to find jobs for unemployed Airmen," Morris said.

He lauded Morris "MJ" Howard, BX general manager, for his widespread and enthusiastic advertising campaign for the H2H van.

Hanna has logged major miles with the black and white H2H mobile job store all across America.

"The van is like a big billboard," he said. "People walk by it and they remember what they saw."

Representatives from New Horizons Computer Learning Centers also were available to assist veterans or Airmen interested in information technology training programs.

Jason Vaneck is an educational consultant and veterans representative for New Horizons, which is the world's largest independent information technology training company with more than 300 centers in 70 countries. Some of the top vendors it works with are Microsoft, Cisco and VMware, among others. As a California U.S. Army Guardsman, Vaneck is excited to work with fellow veterans and military.

"For anyone interested in a career in IT, or just building their skills, we're here to get them the training," he said.

For the second year in a row, New Horizons was awarded the designation as a military friendly school, an honor only given to the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools.

For more information on the H2H program, visit www.H2H.jobs or contact Alvarez at aalvarez@a-teamsolutions.com. For more information on New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, visit www.newhorizons.com or email Vaneck at jvaneck@nhsacramento.com.