'Heroes Hiring Heroes' job fair set for Aug. 30 Published Aug. 10, 2012 By Adam Bailey Nucleus staff writer KIRTLAND AFB,N.M. -- The fourth annual "Heroes Hiring Heroes" job fair will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 30 at Hotel Albuquerque, 800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW. Registration is required and can be done online at www.heroeshiringheroes.com or on site the morning of the event beginning at 8 a.m. It's open to veterans, National Guardsmen, Reservists and their dependents. The job fair is the largest in the state. In 2011, there were 74 employers and 3,400 jobs were available. "The goal for this year is to have 120 employers and 4,500 jobs available," said Gary Kaiser, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Program Manager. The event started in conjunction with Veterans Small Business Development and the Guard and Reserve, which formed a partnership to start a job fair for veterans and their families. "It started on a smaller scale. Once we got involved, it doubled in size and has more Guard and Reserve-friendly employers," said Kaiser. The event has changed, with employers hiring on the spot instead of just taking resumes or having people apply online. In 2011, 75 employers hired directly at the fair. Besides providing jobs, the event also provides workshops to help people prepare for jobs, including resume-writing and interviewing classes. The classes, training and mentorship programs are offered to help people land jobs and keep them. "We have 500 National Guard soldiers returning this December, and half of them will be unemployed when they come back," said Kaiser. "The Pentagon pays for their unemployment. In 2011, they paid $230 million toward unemployment, and in 2012, it could be around $1.2 billion for unemployment, so providing jobs for them helps reduce that amount," said Kaiser. For more information, call 505-341-7130 or email AMLavender@GoAdelante.org.