FORT RILEY, Kan. – More than 30 regional and national employers and nearly 100 career-seeking veterans gathered on Thursday for the Heroes MAKE America Military to Manufacturing Career Fair at Fort Riley.
The career fair and other events held by Heroes MAKE America and Manufacturing Institute aim to grow the manufacturing industry’s workers for the advancement of modern manufacturing and offer programs, including informational sessions, career fairs, networking, career readiness, placement support, and manufacturing tours.
This is the second time it has been held at the Riley Community Center in Fort Riley, KS.
“Every year, about 200,000 men and women transition out of the military, and many need assistance finding a new career that utilizes their talents and supports their growth. The Manufacturing Institute is committed to empowering today’s American heroes to become tomorrow’s manufacturing leaders,” according to the Manufacturing Institute website.
Tami Bush, who has been serving with the U.S. Army 19 years and plans to retire next year after 20 years in service, attended the career fair. Throughout her career, Bush has been stationed in New York, Texas, Georgia, Minnesota, Kansas, and even Germany.
Bush said that the military has set her up for success in tuition assistance and the transition assistance program when transferring into a different career path.
“They have set me up wonderfully; in the Army, you get leadership experience, and I’ve even gotten my master’s degree for free,” Bush said.
Bush is currently in the transition assistance program, where she’s received help with resume writing, interviewing for jobs, and how to translate military experience into tools you can use in the civilian world. The transition assistance program is what encouraged Bush to attend the career fair.
“Out of this event, I plan to network and get some good ideas on where I want to go in the next year to seamlessly transition right out of the military,” Bush said.
Heroes MAKE America also offers resources for employers, such as case studies, online training, courses, and access to the Society of Human Resource Management Foundation (SHRM), which has the newest research to help employers adapt their workplace.
Mindy Horn, a HR generalist at Garmin, said veterans hold a variety of skills that translate into the customer service, manufacturing, IT, and warehousing jobs currently open at Garmin.
“The leadership abilities, along with a lot of technical skills that veterans have, can transfer over, so this career fair sounded like a good match,” Horn said. “We have people come up that already know about or have our products… Someone who already understands our products is a good way to hit the ground running.” Horn said.
Rachelle Wolford, Director of Heroes Program Execution, said veterans who attended the career fair are encouraged to register and attend future virtual events for career fairs, training, and direct career placement.
“After the event, we will send a recap email to all of the registered job seekers that includes contact information and employer details from all of the employers that were at the event,” Wolford said.
Heroes MAKE America also offers virtual career fairs throughout the year to better help participants learn about industry-specific skills, networking, and certifications. The next industry-specific connections include Plastic Pipe Institute on July 17, Atlas Copco on July 24, Packing and Processing Technologies on Aug. 7, and Niagara Bottling on Aug. 14.
Heroes MAKE America Training Program
The Heroes MAKE America Training Program offers training options in manufacturing operations, industrial systems, and logistics. The program has a 90% placement rate for its graduates, with graduates placed in 48 states.
Locations for the programs include Fort Liberty, NC, and Fort Stewart, GA, which both have logistics programs. Manufacturing Operations program in Fort Riley, KS, while Fort Cavazos, TX, has a program in Industrial Systems.
The program at Fort Riley is a 9-week course where trainees will be educated on Certified Production Technician (CPT) through the Manufacturing Standards Skills Council (MSSC). The 14-credit-hour course will also go over OSHA 10 and forklift operations.
The Future Of Manufacturing Jobs
According to a 2024 study conducted by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, there will be 3.8 million manufacturing jobs created from 2024-2033. 2.8 million come from current workers, 760,000 come from job growth within the industry, while 230,000 come from government manufacturing.
The survey also shows that of these available 3.8 million manufacturing jobs, only 1.9 million jobs are likely to be filled because of anticipated skill shortages.
According to the employee respondents from the survey, 77% of employees say competitive employee benefit programs are the best way for employers to attract and retain their employees. Other highly sought after attractions include flexible work arrangements at 47%, training opportunities at 38%, and personalized career growth opportunities within the company at 36%.
For more information on upcoming events visit https://themanufacturinginstitute.org/veterans/
