Job fair offers opportunities to Lubbock area veterans

More than 100 people turned out for the Red, White and You Job Fair on Thursday at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center.

With 62 employers participating, 100-plus job-seekers came in search of a job, with 60 percent of those people being veterans. Family members of veterans and the general public were also welcome at the job fair.

Delshan Martinez is a Lubbock High School graduate who tried college, but lacked scholarship funds.

"I had to figure out a second plan," Martinez said.

So in 2007, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps.

"I just got out of the military. Now I'm just out here seeing what opportunities, as far as jobs, that are available to us veterans," Martinez said.

He is already taking classes online and will transfer to Texas Tech in the spring to study criminology or kinesiology.

In the meantime, he is interested in a position with job security that he would enjoy.

"Being in the Marine Corps, it's a lot of discipline," Martinez said. "When you transfer to being a civilian, we want to show ourselves as a good product to businesses or companies."

Area employers were wanting to meet with people like Martinez on Thursday, but not just for the purpose of making a hire. They said they also wanted to express their thanks to veterans for their sacrifices in the military.

"It's a great honor to be here and meet these people," said Ashleigh Wyatt, a broker associate with Keller Williams.

Veterans could be great in the real estate business if they want to try that field, Wyatt said.

"If they love people, and they love helping people, which obviously they do, they give their lives for us, to help America, and even their families sacrifice a lot. To me, that's what real estate is all about: It's helping people to get into their dream home. Even if they have to move for some reason, it's a service to help people. I feel like, veterans, they have a servant mind and heart," Wyatt said. "It's not for everybody, but I'm here to find the ones that it is for."

Loretta Alva, a human resources generalist with Goodwill Industries, said she and her co-workers were at the job fair in hopes of hooking veterans up with jobs, but also helping them to learn job skills if needed. Goodwill offers resume writing and free computer classes, Alva said.

"We want to help with those barriers," she said. "I know that some of them do struggle."

Alva said Goodwill has employed veterans.

"They have really become very good workers within our company," Alva said.

Danny Soliz, director of business development with Workforce Solutions South Plains, said several employers have told him that the Red, White and You Job Fair is their favorite event of the year, "because they are able to give back to our veterans for their duty to our country and for protecting our freedoms."

karen.michael@lubbockonline.com

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