Oct 05, 2016
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) teamed up today to provide career-seeking service members, veterans and their spouses the opportunity to connect with job openings being offered by some of the top names in the hospitality industry. More than 500 individuals registered for the event.
The VFW Virtual Career Fair featured available opportunities with BJ’s Restaurants, Ecolab, Hyatt, Sodexo and Sysco, all companies with a history of commitment to hiring America’s service members and veterans.
“We’re pleased to have joined together with the NRAEF on this large-scale hiring initiative,” said VFW National Commander Brian Duffy, a U.S. Air Force veteran and retired UPS assistant chief pilot. “In today’s competitive job market, the VFW is dedicated to providing every possible opportunity for our service members, veterans and their spouses to succeed in their careers. VFW Virtual Career Fairs help bridge the gap between America’s top-tier military and veteran candidates and the industry leaders dedicated to hiring them.”
Founded in 1987, the NRAEF is the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association. The NRAEF impacts the prosperity of the restaurant industry by developing a stronger workforce and building the next generation of industry leaders. The foundation’s educational initiatives provide culinary, management, food safety and employability skills training to build a pipeline of talent for the growing industry.
“The NRAEF is honored to have partnered with the VFW on this initiative,” said Rob Gifford, executive vice president of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. “More than 250,000 military veterans are currently employed in the restaurant industry, and the number of employment opportunities is projected to increase in the next five years. These veterans have dedicated their lives to fight for the freedoms we enjoy daily. Having the chance to give back by connecting them with new careers through top-notch industry employers honors NRAEF’s commitment to support America's service men and women.”
The October 5 hospitality-focused event sought candidates to fill a myriad of opportunities in the industry, ranging from front of the house and back of the house restaurant positions, to those involving administrative, food services, culinary, facilities management, environmental services, housekeeping, construction, clinical health management and many more. All companies are nationwide and offered an array of opportunities that only large, multi-million dollar corporations could.
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION:
As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF exists to enhance the restaurant industry’s service to the public through education, community engagement and promotion of career opportunities. The NRAEF works to attract, develop and retain a career-oriented professional workforce for the restaurant industry. In 2016, the restaurant and foodservice industry is projected to provide a record 14.4 million jobs, making it the nation’s second largest private sector employer. For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org.