Veterans turn out in large numbers for Detroit job fair

Hundreds of veterans apply for jobs

DETROIT – Hundreds of veterans looking for a new job got the chance to showcase their skills at a local job fair organized for them. 

There were about 60 employers waiting to talk to about 200 applicants. 

“I’m interested in learning something new,” said veteran Stanley Brown. 

He is looking for a job post-retirement. Brown wants a job in an area he has not worked in before.  “Just something a little different than all of the other stuff I did throughout my life,” said Brown. 

Brown served in the Army for three years, but his resume doesn’t stop there. He was also a Detroit police officer. “I did my 20 years and 4 days,” said Brown. 

He retired after that but now wants to jump back into the working world. “I’m young. I still have a lot left in me.  I still have a lot of people to help,” said Brown. 

Brown is among 200 Veterans applying for jobs at the John Dingel VA Medical Center. 

They’re all taking their chance with 60 plus companies. 

“We have about 300 salary positions open.  A lot of them are the more technical. As you know Ford, is moving more towards mobility. The skills a veteran has learned in the service, they’re highly adaptable. They’re self-motivated, so when you bring them in, even if it’s a job they’re not familiar with, they’re to put in the hours and work that it takes,  to learn the job as fast as they can. It just makes business sense to hire veterans, because they can really help out your company and the bottom line,” said Dan Fink, with Ford Motors. 

The companies must be able to hire within the next 30 days.