Iowa Veterans Career Retreat

will host the first ever Iowa Veterans Career Retreat called “Life After Military Service: Achieve Your Education & Career Goals” on Wednesday, April 4 on the DMACC Ankeny Campus.

The day-long workshop brings together experts and unique resources to help Veterans achieve their career goals.

While Iowa’s unemployment rate is 5.6 percent, the unemployment rate among Iowa veterans is much higher.  According to the Iowa Department of Veteran Affairs, 16.4 percent of Iowa National Guardsman who have returned from Afghanistan in the last few months are unemployed.

 “Unemployment and underemployment among our Veterans is too high,” said Rob Denson, President of DMACC. “By hosting this event, we will offer veterans some valuable insights, guidance and job development tools they can use to find a lifelong career.”

Don Enright, DMACC’s Veteran Services Coordinator, knows there is a great need for this event.  After serving in the Iowa National Guard for 22 years, Enright was hired by DMACC to counsel Veterans with their educational needs. “These are some of the most professional and dedicated people that you will find anywhere,” said Enright. “But they have also greatly suffered from the economic downturn. Our goal with this workshop is to help them get the career they want and deserve.”

The Iowa Veterans Career Retreat will feature a keynote presentation by jobs coach and career expert Cassandra Halls, entitled, “Stand up and Stand out. Getting Hired in Today’s Economy.”

There will also be breakout sessions on various topics from launching a small business to matching personal interests to a great career. In addition, there will be employer breakout sessions where company representatives from various industries will give advice and insights into getting hired.

The session will close with a panel forum made up of veterans who are either enrolled in College or have recently been hired. They will offer useful tips and share what they’ve learned about getting hired.

“Finding the job that you want involves much more than submitting a resume,” said Enright. “We hope this Iowa Veterans Career Retreat will give vets a big advantage in their efforts to find a great career.”

The Iowa Veterans Career Retreat is free to all veterans and their family members and to active duty military personnel. However, seating is limited so participants are asked to pre-register here.