Job fair focuses on veterans

NIANTIC, Conn. (WTNH) -- They fought for the country, now some of them are fighting to get jobs back here at home.

Seventeen employers set up shop at Camp Niantic looking for a few good men and women. The job fair focused on veterans.

"They're good workers. They know what they're looking to do," said Lorraine Sanborn, 1st Consumer Benefit Solutions. "They've been well-trained, they're disciplined and that's what we're looking for."

ESPN/Disney launched a Heroes Work Here program this Spring.

"They will bring a set of values that any employee will find advantageous," said Kevin Preston, ESPN. "The values of courage, and honesty, and integrity."

Josh Hampton, an army veteran, learned a lot at the career fair and has his eye on Electric Boat.

"They have jobs or internships that I can do while attending school," said Hampton. "It's nice to know those things."

In addition to job opportunities, veterans were also able to come to the booth and have the opportunity to learn about benefits they might not even have known were available to them.

Benefits like full tuition reimbursement. Something else Hampton didn't realize.

"For Connecticut veteran you can go to school for the rest of your life for free basically," said Hampton.

There are also benefits for companies hiring veterans, like tax credits and grants. Norwich Police are looking to add four veterans to the force.

"To get them back into the workforce, and again the federal government has been nice enough to give us money to do that specifically, so it's been nice," said Jon Ley, Norwich Police.

"A lot of them are veterans themselves, so it's nice to kind of continue the family outside of the military," said Hampton. "Nice to know someone has your back."