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Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

WB Press Release: Poster Art Will Tell Women Veterans to Take Advantage of Their Opportunities [09/02/1998]

For more information call: (202) 219-6611

The U. S. Department of Labor plans to use art to encourage women veterans to take advantage of the opportunities afforded them as veterans. Artists who are also veterans are sought in the National Women Veterans Original Art Design Search sponsored by the department's Women's Bureau, U.S. Employment Services and Veterans' Employment and Training Service.

The goal of the contest is to obtain art work which will be used for posters depicting the theme, "Hire a Vet: A Model of Success," focusing on women. Winning art work will be chosen from entries of outstanding and talented veteran artists from across the country. The art work will be used to create posters to be exhibited in offices where women veterans seek employment and retraining opportunities.

In 1996, women veterans represented five percent, or 1.2 million, of the 23.8 million veterans in the United States. Their unemployment rate of 5.9 percent was just slightly higher than the 4.8 percent for female non-veterans.

Many women veterans are unaware of their benefits so they don't take advantage of them, especially if they have not been in combat. The posters are intended to remind all women veterans to identify themselves as military veterans when seeking employment. U.S. military veterans are eligible for employment benefits and preference in hiring in government agencies and in many private sector organizations that place a premium on military service.

Military experience has given women veterans unique learning experiences in preparing them for the labor force. They have the education, training, motivation and skills that are in demand by employers. They have flown sophisticated aircraft, developed and maintained complicated machinery, created new technology and kept track of and operated millions of dollars of sophisticated systems around the world.

The National Women Veterans Original Art Design Search guidelines are available on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov/dol/wb. Information may also be obtained by calling 1-800-379-9042.

Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.