OREANDA-NEWS. Edge4Vets, a national jobs preparation program for military veterans, joined forces with employers at Miami International Airport on May 7 to prepare Miami veterans for aviation jobs at MIA with a full-day resiliency workshop. The workshop was sponsored by Carnival Corporation and was hosted by the Miami-Dade Aviation Department in the airport's North Terminal Auditorium.

Offered by the Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University, Edge4Vets teaches veterans how to translate their military skills into tools for the civilian workforce.  The program helps them become "job ready," and then connects the "prepped" veterans to jobs with airlines, concessions, retail, security, ground transportation companies and more.

"I applaud the Aviation Department and Edge4Vets for their efforts to support the veteran community in Miami-Dade County and to assist them with quality jobs at MIA," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. "MIA and its general aviation airports continue to drive our economy and spur job growth throughout all sectors of our community."

The MIA workshop helped veterans to identify the specific values and skills they developed in the military and apply them towards job opportunities with Edge4Vets partner companies American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, HMS Host, Hudson Group, CAS, Brinks and JBT Services. Workshop partners Carnival Corporation, Republic Metals, Bank of America, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce also participated in the workshop as mentors to provide feedback and support to the veterans.

A follow-up workshop will be offered on May 20 at MIA, during which human resources representatives from partner companies will provide support to match veterans to job opportunities at MIA.

"One out of every four jobs in Miami-Dade County is directly or indirectly supported by MIA, and we aim to grow that number by partnering with Edge4Vets and connecting local veterans to the many job opportunities at our airport," said Miami-Dade Aviation Department Chief of Staff Joseph F. Napoli. "As a retired U.S. Army officer, I understand the challenges that veterans face when entering the civilian workforce, as well as the strengths they bring to the workplace. Well-trained, hardworking military veterans can become strong contributors to our growing global gateway."