Veterans gain access to jobs, resources at centralized location

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Just days away from Veterans Day, an event Thursday offered help and resources at the Alaska Airlines Center to vets and military spouses looking for work.

Prospective employers filled the gymnasium with booths for the annual event, which was free to the general public as well.

“Whether it‘s an individual looking for advancement, or just looking for any kind of gig, it’s a one-stop shop here where they can come through, and we have over 100 employers here,” Department of Labor employment services manager Sam Wedin said at the Midtown Job Center. “There’s something here for everybody.”

Wedin helped organize the event for the Alaska Department of Labor. He sees the value in a centralized place on the bus system for veterans to get the help and services they may need.

“I actually have had the pleasure to work with a lot of veterans through my position with State of Alaska, and a lot of them work with vets alike. So, just being able to meet vets through other vets has always been a really cool thing,” he said. “To see other veterans interact, actually, to me, is more rewarding because you see that bond they have over their time serving our country, and that’s one great thing about this event, is we bring all those veterans together.”

One of those veterans is Corinthian Douglas Burch. From North Carolina, he served over three years in the 11th Airborne Division after being stationed in Alaska.

“[I] had surgery a month before I got out [of the military], got shafted, got me and my family a home as quick as I could,” Burch said. “[My] wife took over the main income. She was blessed with a really great job.”

However, the couple is no longer together — and now Burch is without a home and struggling for custody of his children. He said he sleeps in a small gym that he operates when people show up. While things may look grim, he said he’s been practicing self-discipline and a higher power led him to the job fair.

“Discipline is self love,” he said. “When one is disciplined, one is showing self love to oneself and making the sacrifices that one needs to get what he wants in this life.

“So I am sacrificing everything I can. I don’t do anything but sit in my gym all day. That’s it. I sit and I wait till God tells me to go do something else.”

Burch said he’s been blessed recently, being able to refinance his truck as he looks to pick up a steady income.

“I got a community that’s helped me,” he said. “I got people that have come and checked up on me. There are people around here that love vets and take care of them.”

Burch said he’s staying in Alaska and had a few irons in the fire before arriving at the job fair.

“I got blessed with a job last night,” he said. “They offered me a job as a prep [cook] and at $18 [an hour], but I told them $12 because they were so good to me. So hopefully I’ll start working with them.”

One option for Burch and others at the job fair was the company Worley. Representatives from the oil and gas company were at the fair encouraging veterans to apply for a range of positions.

“We have a lot of job openings,” Bobi Akers, a recruiter for Worley, explained. “We’re really looking for a handful of drivers right now, which would be great up on the North Slope. To work up on the North Slope, it’s required to have an NSTC card. Alaska Safety Alliance provides our veterans free courses for their NSTC cards. So, it’s a great opportunity for a lot of veterans to get up there and work.”

Akers said that a person’s military experience can easily be parlayed into a job with Worley.

“They have good work ethics and come from a good background from being in the military, and they’ve been exposed to all kinds of environments,” Akers said. “Thinks they’re a great fit for our company.”

Burch said he appreciated the opportunity, but would rather stay based in Anchorage if possible. He moved on to inquire about electrician work.

Wedin said people like Burch are the kind of people he‘s looking to connect with a job. But for veterans who were not able to partake in the event, services are available at the Midtown Job Center at 3301 Eagle Street.

“We pride ourselves in being a one-stop shop for all our services,” Wedin said proudly. “If you’re a job seeker, an employer, come on down to the Job Center, and we can figure out whether it’s a grant or just maybe help with your resume, or help finding job seekers for your business — we do it all.”

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