Hood-Austin partnership ‘Operation Austin’ to kick off in February

Photo By Sgt. Cody Barber | Fort Hood Garrison Commander Col. Matt Elledge speaks to the Austin Chamber of Commerce and guests during a visit to the Austin Chamber Jan. 22 to discuss the growing partnership between Fort Hood and Austin. The kickoff event for this partnership, “Operation Austin,” will be in late February with a job fair at Club Hood highlighting career opportunities in Austin. (Photo by Sgt. Cody Barber, 11th PAD)  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

01.29.2015

Courtesy Story

Fort Cavazos Public Affairs Office

By Erin Rogers, Fort Hood Sentinel staff

FORT HOOD, Texas - The city of Austin’s efforts to become one of the nation’s leaders in recruiting veterans is underway with a first-of-its-kind job fair being held on post in late February.

Operation Austin is the partnership between Fort Hood and Austin’s Chamber, aimed at developing new programs that connect Austin companies with veterans and transitioning Soldiers, and to create an Austin startup accelerator adviser team for veterans interested in the Austin area.

Operation Austin will kick off with a job fair and recruiting event, hosted by the Austin Chamber of Commerce, Feb. 26 at Club Hood. At least 50 employers, business and companies from Austin and the surrounding area will be at the job fair exclusively for separating service members, veterans and their spouses.

Kwee Lan Teo, vice president of talent development and acquisition for the Austin Chamber of Commerce, said the idea for Operation Austin began in late 2014 with a conversation between Fort Hood Garrison Commander Col. Matt Elledge and herself.

“(We) came together to discuss possible partnership to help exiting Soldiers connect with jobs in our region,” Teo said. “Austin has approximately 40,000 available job opening each month. ... We have a very low unemployment rate at about 3.9 percent right now, and with more jobs moving into Austin, it only makes sense to reach out to nearby cities for good talent.”

Teo said that many companies like to hire veterans, and this is where the Chamber’s role comes into play with the goal of being a leader in hiring veterans.

“We are the largest Chamber in the state, we have about 3,000 member companies and are in such a position to organize such an effort. All of this would not have been possible without the strong support of Fort Hood and the Austin Chamber’s leadership team,” she said.

The fact that employers like to hire veterans was clear at Fort Hood’s own major hiring event Jan. 21, with several of the employers present expressing their confidence in hiring veterans and exiting Soldiers because they already have the attributes employers are searching for.

“Each month, approximately 600-800 Soldiers separate from Fort Hood,” said Elledge during a visit to the Austin Chamber Jan. 22. “Many are interested in staying in Central Texas."

“These men and women wrote a blank check in service to their country. We are honored to collaborate with the Austin Chamber of Commerce and Central Texas employers on this new, joint mission (to) support veterans and their spouses in earning a great paycheck as they build new lives following their service,” he added.

Teo said that several of the companies she has spoken with have had excellent experience in hiring veterans because of their traits, which coincides with Elledge’s information on the large amount of Soldiers leaving the Army monthly here at Fort Hood.

“A key strength is the (Soldier’s) ability to collaborate, which is important for many of the dynamic technology companies in Central Texas, as teamwork is essential for a lot of the work that they do, especially if they are running on tight deadlines,” she said. “Several recruiters also admire the traits that they see among their veteran hires and have mentioned that they appreciate how organized, hardworking, loyal and their ability to maintain composure under pressure as traits that they especially like; it works very well in a fast pace. For most of the growing companies in Austin, they also feel that military spouses exhibit the similar strong trait as they have to support and care for their families while their spouses are away.”

Job seekers at Operation Austin can expect to find a variety of employment opportunities, from technology and health care, to sales and marketing. Companies such as Charles Schwab, Intel, Visa, Accent, Black Box, Personify and more will be present at the fair.

“We have companies whose call of businesses are in computing, cyber security, finance, medical supply, education and so forth. We even have two school districts that are coming to participate in this job fair,” Teo said. “There are entry-mid-level positions, but also senior positions available. I have talked to a few recruiters that said there are internships and apprenticeship opportunities, as well. ... Do take the opportunity to talk to each and every company to find out what kind of opportunities they have available."

“I hope the companies are able to hire the talent that they’re looking for and that the companies leave with a very good impression and experience that they can relate to other Central Texas companies,” she continued. “For the job seekers, I hope they’re able to find a career path or an opportunity with some of these companies and get valuable insight about each company’s unique corporate culture and expectations. It is very important for job seekers to be able to network personally with recruiters. ... With this particular partnership, I hope that many (companies) would also see Fort Hood as a possible location to tap into some of the talent that they’re looking for in our region.”

Stay up-to-date with Operation Austin by visiting the Austin Chamber’s website at www.austinchamber.com.

• Date Taken: 01.29.2015
• Date Posted: 01.29.2015 18:15
• Story ID: 153078
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US