Upcoming Point Park workshop aims to help veterans re-enter workforce

Veterans and their spouses who want to sharpen their job-finding skills can attend a day-long workshop next month at Point Park University.

“The Starting Point to a New Career” will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 9.

The event runs through 3:30 p.m. and is free for active-duty military veterans and their spouses.

The day includes a seminar on transitioning to the civilian workforce, a networking lunch and a personal finance seminar.

“I have seen first-hand the need to help veterans and their families gain a better understanding of career transition and personal finance,” Steve Tanzilli, dean of the Rowland School of Business, a co-sponsor of the event, said in a news release.

“Veterans in Allegheny County have a higher unemployment rate than civilians, and to us, that is simply not acceptable,” Jack Wagner, director of Pittsburgh Hires Veterans, which is co-sponsoring the event, said in a news release.

Wagner, himself a Purple Heart recipient for his service in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, is a former Pittsburgh city councilman, state senator and state auditor general.

“We understand the struggles faced after returning home. It is not always easy to adjust to a new lifestyle as a civilian,” he said.

To register for the event, visit: veteransexcellence.eventbrite.com. Participants will enter through the University’s Academic Hall, located at the corner of Third Avenue and Wood Street.