Hiring Our Heroes Draws in Hundreds - ABC5 News Des Moines, IA
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By Lisa Martone
DES MOINES-- Since 1995, when Jay Scaffer of Des Moines got out of the service, things have been a bit difficult him. He currently lives at the VA in Des Moines and is unemployed.
"It has been difficult since I got out just adjusting to civilian life," he said. "In the military you are told what to do, and how to do it ,and when to do it, it is not like that in civilian world."
His adjustment was harder than others. Since '95, he has had a difficult time holding a job. So anytime there is help available he takes it.
"I'm looking for employment today," Scaffer said.
He came to the Iowa State Fairgrounds Varied Industries Building on Wednesday afternoon to find just that. Hiring our Heroes is an annual job fair that makes its way around the country. In Des Moines more than 125 employers set up booths, interviewed vets and provided them with information to help get them back into the civilian working word.
"Iowa employees are just awesome," said Shawn Hippen, of the Iowa National Guard. "We get calls every day, every week, about them wanting to hire a vet. We can't thank Iowa veterans enough."
The unemployment rate for veterans in Iowa sits around six percent, for those who served in our most recent war, that rate is a little higher at 11 percent. However, for some the pain and memory of war and the way life was when they served is hard to shake. So this kind of help is vital.
"It's great for the vets and it is great for the employers," Scaffer said. "I believe vets are the best workers in the world."
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