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Port San Antonio recently partnered with Hiring Our Heroes — an initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation — to connect military servicemembers and their spouses who are transitioning to civilian life with locally-based organizations that are seeking talent for industries such as cybersecurity, healthcare, aerospace and advanced tech.

The Joint Base San Antonio Career Summit, hosted at the Boeing Center at Tech Port in early August, was a two-day event comprised of workshop sessions and a career fair that featured on-site interviews for job seekers and opportunities for employers to build a strong and diverse workforce. 

During the event, which featured more than 100 organizations such as Amazon, FedEx, CPS Energy, several area school districts and Port-based firms such as Boeing, StandardAero, CNF Technologies, Leidos and Technica, attendees gleaned insights from industry experts on how to best prepare for new careers outside the military, while employers learned best practices for recruiting and retaining veteran talent in their organizations.

"We have transitioning servicemembers — veterans, spouses, caregivers and dependents — who are here looking for available opportunities within the city of San Antonio and, most importantly, at Port San Antonio," said Port San Antonio Chief of Community Engagement Dr. Chauntè Hall. "We pigeonhole ourselves in the military community, and we think there is just one path. The future is cyber...the future is STEM." 

"CNF Technologies, as well as other companies, are here to make sure (servicemembers) know they have options and places to go once they leave the military life," said Freddy Ramirez, CEO of CNF Technologies.

"Military veterans bring discipline, an understanding of how to do a task and how to organize to accomplish it, and that's something that we value," said Leidos Account Manager Rick Lipsey. "We really appreciate being able to bring in military folks to Leidos because of the experience they bring. It is often directly related to what our customers are doing and what they are looking for."

"I am retired Air Force myself, so that's one of the good things I enjoy about GDIT — I get to support the defense industry not wearing a uniform anymore," said Ed Martino of General Dynamics IT. 

"We like to bring in military because of the engine experience they have," said Jeannie Gibson of StandardAero. "A lot of the military that does come in are either pilots, or they have worked on airplane engines before." 

"We have (a) forty percent veteran (workforce) over at Boeing San Antonio," said Sam Losek of Boeing. "They bring in a lot of integrity." 

"Helping them make the transition back to private sector - an already trained, already educated employee who has all the skills and traits, ethics and character to serve our country - why would you not want them in your company?" Said Veronica Salazar of Knight Aerospace.

The Career Summit was the latest event to showcase the Port as a significant contributor to San Antonio's Military City, U.S.A. designation — as well as the tech innovation campus' growing reputation as Cyber City, U.S.A. Home to approximately 18,000 workers, the Port represents the largest share of the city's 48,000 information tech employees. 

And there are hundreds of additional exciting career opportunities with employers based at the Port — with more becoming available on a regular basis. Scroll down to visit our online employment portal and to see the current openings throughout our campus.

Photo credits: Port San Antonio.