CHARLOTTE — As part of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Military Appreciation Day, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Bank of America and Hendrick Motorsports will host Hiring Our Heroes Charlotte, a free job expo for veterans, active duty military, reserve components and military spouses.
The day’s events will include a Hiring Our Heroes employment workshop geared toward former members of the military, a financial readiness course led by Bank of America employees and a job fair with more than 50 employers.
“Hiring Our Heroes is thrilled to be back in Charlotte. This city’s commitment to hiring and supporting its veteran and military families is truly admirable,” said Eric Eversole, executive director of Hiring Our Heroes. “It has been wonderful working with Hendrick Motorsports, Bank of America and all of our great partners to make this vision a reality for our troops.”
Helping service members secure good jobs in the private sector is critical, said Marshall Carlson, president of Hendrick Motorsports.
“It affects all those who have served in our nation’s military – like our partners with the National Guard — and their families,” Carlson said.
Charlotte has stepped up in a big way to support Hiring Our Heroes, he said.
“It’s a privilege to stand with others in our community who recognize the importance of this issue and hope to make an impact,” Carlson said.
Veterans, transitioning service members, reserve components and military spouses of all ranks and levels of experience are encouraged to attend. Companies participating in the event range from America’s largest employers to dozens of smaller companies from across the region. Lunch and complimentary tickets to the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be provided for all participants.
“Our employees who served in the military bring a unique skill set to the table,” said Charles Bowman, North Carolina and Charlotte market president for Bank of America. “They’re natural leaders, quick to adapt and also bring with them a commitment to teamwork.
“We’ve committed to hiring 10,000 veterans, guard and reservists over the next few years, and are excited to partner with the U.S. Chamber and all of the other companies participating to help bring job opportunities to Charlotte’s veterans and their families.”
This event is also being held in partnership with the North Carolina and Charlotte Chambers of Commerce, the North Carolina National Guard, the North Carolina Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve, the U.S. Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Goodwill Industries International, American Legion and other local partners.
Hiring Our Heroes launched in March 2011 as a nationwide initiative to help veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses find meaningful employment. Working with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s network of state and local chambers and other strategic partners from the public, private and nonprofit sectors, Hiring Our Heroes has helped hundreds of thousands of veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment.
The goal of the Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign with Capital One is to engage the business community in committing to hire half a million veterans and military spouses by the end of 2014.