Veterans want to work at New York airports but often need help translating their military skills before seeking to connect them. They benefit greatly from mentor support as well.
That’s where Edge4Vets comes in: the program teaches NY veterans how to create a four-part PLAN4SUCCESS while enlisting HR reps to provide feedback in the process.
The Edge4Vets workshop series is conducted by the Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University, which has an MOU with the NYC Department of Veterans Services and a partnership with Airports Council International – North America to expand vet employment in the City. KAAMCO Cargo, JFK Air Cargo Association, and Airport Community Foundation (ACF) sponsored the latest “Edge4Vets at Airports” workshop on May 22, hosted by Vaughn College.
Thirty-seven vets participated in the Spring session, where they were connected to recruiters from WFS, ASAK Solutions, TSA, and more to match their skills and interests to airport jobs.
Veterans bring grit and determination to their job search. Wesley Odems is an example: Wesley started before dawn in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn and caught a C train, which he took to the G train. Then he transferred to the 7 train at Queensborough Plaza and took that to Roosevelt Avenue/74th, where he caught the Q33 bus for the last leg to the Edge4Vets workshop at Vaughn. His persistence paid off, and now he’s working with Verdia Noel, coordinator for the Council on Airport Opportunity (CAO), another Edge4Vets partner, to arrange an interview.
The instruction vets get from Edge4Vets works. Chris Thomas was hired by CLPA at a previous Edge4Vets at Airports workshop and received rave reviews for his performance. Hundreds, even thousands of vets in New York are looking for similar support.
To join the Edge4Vets coalition of company partners and gain access to talented, job-ready vets, visit Edge4Vets.org.
