The City added an element to its annual Week of Valor celebration of Veterans Day when it hosted a job fair Friday for former military personnel.
Several hundred potential employees participated in the event at the Osborn Center to meet representatives of about 100 local education providers and businesses that want to recruit skilled workers.
Mayor Alvin Brown introduced U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, who said the event complements the federal government's initiative to hire former members of the military,
"The Department of the Navy takes the hiring of veterans incredibly seriously. Last year, the Navy hired 11,000 veterans and a quarter of them were wounded warriors," Mabus said.
He said the U.S. Navy has a $170 billion budget and employs more than 900,000 people.
"If we were a private company, we would be by far the largest in the world," said Mabus.
Brown presented a proclamation to Mabus declaring Friday "Navy-Marine Corps Classic Day" in honor of the University of Florida versus Georgetown University men's basketball game at Mayport Naval Station on the deck of the USS Bataan, one of the Navy's Amphibious Ready Group ships.
"I want you to get used to what an amphibious ship looks like. Next year, three ships like it are moving to Jacksonville," Mabus said.
The USS New York is scheduled to arrive at Mayport in 2013, followed in 2014 by the USS Iwo Jima and USS Fort McHenry.
Mabus said the vessels and their crews will bring 2,000 personnel and their families to North Florida, which will support the local economy and sustain the area's ship repair facilities.
The annual Week of Valor is scheduled to conclude today with the City's Veterans Day Parade along Downtown streets from the Times-Union Center to the Sports Complex. The first unit is expected to pass the reviewing stand at 11:01 a.m.
To view the parade route, visit makeascenedowntown.com.
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