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Employment Security Department Commissioner Cami Feek and other state officials joined veterans, their families and friends on Monday, Nov. 10, during the annual Veterans Day ceremony in Olympia.
Feek spoke about the daily work Employment Security staff do to help veterans and their families. She highlighted statewide WorkSource offices, which deploy specially trained staff who are ready to guide veterans to jobs, training and community services.
WorkSource is a statewide partnership of state, local and nonprofit organizations that provide employment and training services to job seekers and employers in Washington.
Learn more about these services on WorkSource’s website.
Out of about 2,200 employees, Employment Security has 149 who identify as veterans, as well as 41 who identify as a military spouse.
Feek also highlighted the YesVets initiative, a statewide program that recognizes employers who say “yes” to hiring veterans. Since 2016, when the program started, more than 2,300 employers have signed up. And since 2016, those employers have hired more than 7,000 veterans.
Learn more about YesVets on Employment Security’s website.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, this year’s keynote speaker, talked about his family’s connection to the military. He shared the importance of having a mission, and how his mission today to help people remains the same as it was during his miliary service.
Washington Department of Veterans Affairs Director David Puente Jr. highlighted the opportunities veterans create, noting that serving the nation doesn’t end with military service.
The event was organized by the Washington Veterans Employee Resource Group and Employment Security’s Veterans Employee Resource Group. It included stories from veterans, speakers from other state agencies, a performance by the Aspire Middle School choir, and a sing-along presentation of theme songs from each military branch.