Assisting veterans on a path to employment

The sun hadn't yet risen by 6:30 a.m. Oct. 24 when the CareerSource Suncoast mobile pulled into the fairgrounds parking lot. The temperature was a comfortable 70 as the tents went up and the Salvation Army cooked breakfast. More than 25 people were already lined up at the gates waiting for the 2015 Manatee County Stand Down to begin at 8 a.m.

Now in its 15th year, the Stand Down is a lifesaver for the homeless veterans in our community and others seeking much needed stabilizing services. Federal grant dollars help provide backpacks, clothes and other necessities for these veterans.

CareerSource Suncoast knows all too well the struggle many veterans face. We have dedicated career advisors strictly for veterans like those who attended the Stand Down: low income, homeless, disabled, recently separated or Wounded Warriors. In the last three months, CareerSource Suncoast has seen more than 400 veterans in our career centers and 52 have had a significant barrier, such as homelessness, to employment. Working with our partners such as Goodwill Manasota, JFCS and the Vet Center, who all participated in last week's Stand Down, our veterans career advisors try to objectively assess the veterans situation, refer to service agencies like Salvation Army, Turning Points and Centerstone, and then craft an employment plan with the veteran.

Ultimately, employment is the end goal and a key to providing stability to those veterans most in need. Partnering with Goodwill Manasota, CareerSource Suncoast is hosting a Paychecks for Patriots Job Fair specifically for veterans and their families on Nov. 10. On the eve of Veterans Day, more than 20 employers, including Bright House Networks, IMG Academy, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Best Buy and Tropicana, will convene from 9 a.m. to noon at Goodwill Manasota's corporate headquarters at 2705 51st Ave. E. in Bradenton to attract veterans to their company.

CareerSource Suncoast and Goodwill Manasota teamed up two years ago for a pair of job fairs at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota underneath the Patterson Foundation's Legacy of Valor campaign. It's now become a yearly tradition with last year's veterans job fair also being held at Goodwill Manasota. CareerSource Sun

coast has assisted 280 veterans find employment so far this year and believe that Paychecks for Patriots will help even more transition successfully from their military careers to civilian life. This way, we'll see fewer veterans in need when JFCS hosts Sarasota County's Stand Down in April.

Ted Ehrlichman, president and CEO of CareerSource Suncoast, writes about workforce issues across the region.

This story was originally published November 1, 2015 at 10:37 PM with the headline "Assisting veterans on a path to employment ."