Get ready to mark your calendars and save the date: an innovative and robust military career fair will be back again this summer to help transitioning and retired military personnel who are seeking employment.

WorkForce Central, in partnership with the Tacoma Rainiers Baseball Club, is pleased to present the 2014 Annual Boots2Work Military Career Fair Wednesday, Aug. 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at historic Cheney Stadium in Tacoma.  Last year's event provided more than 600 transitioning and retired military personnel and their spouses access to a number of military friendly businesses. This year's career fair will continue to feature employer exhibitors that are ready to hire, as well as provide expert help to assist job seekers obtain tools, resources and support in their employment journey.  

Aug. 26, the day prior to the event, there will be a variety of workshops to help participants prepare for the career fair. The workshops will also be held at Cheney Stadium.

All transitioning service members and veterans, along with their spouses and young adult children, are welcome to attend.

Registration is required to participate in the career fair and the pre-fair workshops. There is no cost for eligible and registered participants to attend any of the Boots2Work events.  

WorkForce Central Military Workforce Development Manager Shellie Willis is honored to continue the mission and vision of last year's event.

"Our sole purpose is to create pathways of success for our transitioning military and their families," Willis said. "Success could lead to entrepreneurship, education or direct job placement. By connecting our employers directly to the military population they seek to hire, we are opening the door to greater opportunities and connections.

"We hope that each job seeker walks away with a stronger feeling of significance and purpose knowing there is a strong community force supporting them."

One of those community forces is the Tacoma Rainiers Baseball Club, WorkForce Central's partner for Boots2Work. According to Willis, the club's support has been impactful. 

"Partnering with the Rainiers has made a huge difference in how we build the bridge between our employers in Tacoma and Pierce County and our transitioning service members," Willis said. "Through this partnership, we are able to have a collective impact on the entire community."

For those who wish to participate in the event, Willis shares some key tips on getting the most out of this career fair.

"Change your thinking in order to prepare yourself for transition - a positive attitude makes a difference," she explained. "Make sure you do your research on your industry of choice and utilize tools to ensure you have a strong résumé for a specific position versus a general résumé. This will show the employer you have researched and know what they are looking for directly. Also, attend your transition workshops and seek a mentor."

For registration information and more details about Boots2Work, visit www.workforce-central.org or www.boots2work.org.  Additionally, be sure to visit the WorkForce Central Facebook and Twitter pages for all of the latest updates on this upcoming event.