New programs offered in April Published March 20, 2008 By Valerie Mullett 341st Space Wing Public Affairs Office MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- The Airman and Family Readiness Center staff would like to introduce three programs they are involved with starting in April. Employer Expo In conjunction with several local sponsors, April 1 there will be an Employer Expo at the University of Great Falls in the McLaughlin Center from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This is a chance for those ready to join the work force or those transitioning from military to civilian employment to meet prospective employers. "I like to tell people to dress for an interview and bring several copies of their resume along," said Michael Boggs, community readiness consultant at the A&FRC. "Many people will get hired on the spot." Along with meeting prospective employers, there will also be free resume critiquing, and access to the internet for job opportunities will be available. Some of the employers planning to be at the expo include Benefis Healthcare, Centene Corporation, the City of Great Falls, D.A. Davidson Companies, Lockhead Martin Corporation, NEW, the U.S. Postal Service, Waddell and Reed Financial Services and more. The Employer Expo is free and open to the public. Classes for spouses The Air Force Aid Society recently approved a grant that will allow 15 spouses of active-duty Air Force members to attend computer classes at no cost to the spouse. The first session is keyboarding and it requires 30 hours of class, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., starting April 7 and continuing through May 8. Following the keyboarding class will be a 25-hour requirement in introduction to computers and Microsoft Word along with 16 hours learning Excel. All classes will be completed by June 16 and they are held at Montana State University's College of Technology in Great Falls. "These classes are intended to help increase job marketability for the spouses," Mr. Boggs said. "Near the end of the classes, there will be an opportunity for those attending to register for potential job openings in the local area, if they choose to do so." Volunteer Excellence Award Do you know someone who is busy actively volunteering in the community and making a difference? Do you want to get them some well-deserved recognition? If so, here is the opportunity you've been waiting for. The Volunteer Excellence Award was established to recognized federal civilians, family members, and military and federal retirees who perform outstanding volunteer community service of a sustained, direct and consequential nature. To be eligible, an individual's service must be performed either in the local civilian community, or the military family community at Malmstrom, and be of a long-term nature with significant tangible results that reflect favorably on the Air Force. - The VEA is intended to recognized exceptional long-term community support and not a single act or achievement. - Eligible persons must be nominated by their supervisor or by the volunteer agency for which they donated their time. - Nominations should be written on the VEA nomination form, located on the 10-day share drive in a folder titled "Volunteer Excellence Award" and be on page only. - Volunteer experience will be direct, fact-filled emphasizing the benefits of the volunteer service and include any qualifying factors out of the ordinary. - Some suggested areas of emphasis are leadership and management, innovative and creative ideas, community involvement, initiative and reliability. Nominations for the VEA need to be submitted by April 14 to the Airman and Family Readiness Center. For more information on any of these programs, contact Mr. Boggs at 731-4900.