Photo By Samantha Harms | Ed Serna, executive director, Texas Workforce Commission; Samuel Blanks, veterans...... read more read more
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KILLEEN, Texas — The Fort Cavazos Transition Assistance Program was recognized Oct. 26 at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center by Workforce Solutions of Central Texas as an outstanding advocate for the smooth transition of military personnel into civilian life, receiving the Torch Professional of the Year Award.
The ceremony highlighted Mark Phillips, transition service manager; Jerry Hernandez, transition service specialist-marketing; Samuel Blanks, veterans resource coordinator-Texas Workforce Commission; and Adrian Thompson, transition service specialist-Career Skills Program; who have consistently gone above and beyond to make this life-changing process as seamless and successful as possible, according to the award program.
“It’s hard work, it’s dedicated work, but sometimes those (things) get overlooked because it’s routine,” Phillips shared. “The Army and (Department of Defense) have done a great job, but we can’t always say that we want to lose great Soldiers, so a lot of time the focus isn’t always on the support system on someone exiting the service. … One of the first things that this award touches on is the fact that TAP is an outstanding advocate for the smooth transition of military personnel.”
This was the 35th Annual Torch Awards Luncheon, in which 22 individuals, businesses and community organizations were honored. There were several categories, including personnel achievement, education impact, employer of the year and distinguished service.
TAP was chosen to receive this award for a variety of reasons, including the ability to foster collaboration and partnerships nationwide.
The program for the award itself took a moment to highlight those exact reasons, stating that Phillips, Hernandez, Blanks and Thompson “have meticulously cultivated a vast network of professionals nationwide, enabling them to organize high-quality hiring events within the largest military installation, Fort Cavazos. This collaborative approach has not only simplified the process for transitioning service members but has also brought together employers and job seekers, creating meaningful connections that greatly facilitate the transition process.”
These connections have allowed Fort Cavazos to offer a variety of programs and services, including the annual Red, White and You hiring event.
This event, which took place Wednesday this year, was inspired because of job fairs that happen across the state of Texas by every county annually. TAP realized that it would be more beneficial to everyone, including service members, to host a larger scale event that could kick off the other dozens of smaller job fairs across the state. This allows employers and employees to be together in the same place, including employers that are often times even nationwide. Last year’s event was the first in such partnership with Workforce Solutions Central Texas, with future events already planned.
Nearly two hundred employers participate in this event, with thousands of job seekers in attendance.
“We are proactive, we speak to our leadership, we speak to Fort Cavazos leadership and we use all of the resources that we have,” Phillips explained. “We engage the media, we engage social media, we use all of the garrison directors. We basically don’t leave any stones unturned. That’s why we probably feel that we have a smooth transition, because we have the Workforce, we have the Veterans Commission; we use outside agencies. We just will use any resource available to make sure that the Soldier has a smooth transition … We try to use every resource that we have available because the more resources that we use, the better opportunity a service member will have to transition.”
Additionally, “this year, in partnership with Workforce Solutions of Central Texas, TAP has held two large mega Career Fairs and four mini Career Fairs, a testament to their unwavering commitment to creating pathways for successful transitions,” according to the program.
The contributions that TAP makes go well by just professional accomplishments, as they reflect the dedication the team has to the well-being of transitioning military personnel and their families.
“Just the opportunity that an outside agency is recognizing a federal component, and then they support transitioning Soldiers too,” Phillips shared when asked to highlight the significance of the award. “It just shows that we’re not just committed, but that the community around that supports Fort Cavazos is committed too, not only to serve excellence, but also to reward excellence.”
| Date Taken: | 11.02.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.07.2023 16:52 |
| Story ID: | 459100 |
| Location: | FORT CAVAZOS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 69 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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