#HireWW12: Rise To The Challenge - Diversify Your Workforce

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The Department of the Navy (DoN) will host the 3rd Annual Wounded Warrior Hiring and Support Conference Oct. 29-30 in San Diego.

The conference focuses on building employers' capabilities for hiring returning service members with disabilities. The theme for this year's conference, "Hiring our Nation's Heros - Rise to the Challenge - Diversify Your Workforce!", builds upon the Navy's ongoing effort to increase wounded warrior employability and employer capabilities to hire them.

The DoN has hired 9,478 veterans to include 1,647 returning service members with 30 percent or higher disability ratings since last year's conference.

"I was successful in bringing on board a wounded warrior with minimum delay in the hiring process," said Human Resources Service Center, Southwest employer Teresa Salcedo. "The candidate was ready to begin work immediately after the interview process."

This year, more than 50 private sector businesses and federal government agencies, including the DoN, are slated to host booths and will be accepting resumes at the career fair. Support organizations like Navy Safe Harbor will also be at the career fair, ready to advise and assist wounded warriors and connect them to resources.

"The pool of wounded warriors candidates referred to me for consideration had the right skill set that I was looking for," said Salcedo. "The maturity, great sense of responsibility, 'CAN DO' attitude, and of course, leadership, project management and organizational skills."

The conference is sponsored by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs and co-hosted by Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. It is also supported by the DoN's Office of Civilian Human Resources, Navy Safe Harbor and the Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service.

The Wounded Warrior Hiring and Support initiative, which was established in 2010 by the ASN M&RA, aims to coordinate wounded warrior employment efforts and ultimately increase wounded warrior employability by ensuring they have access to education, training and employment opportunities.

To REGISTER and for conference details, visit http://www.navsea.navy.mil/WoundedWarrior.aspx and click on the LARGE conference banner logo at the top of the page.