HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Vanessa Cervantes spent five years in the Army, where she says she helped create maps. But the path forward after leaving the military was not easy.
After becoming a mom, Cervantes said she did not know where to turn for her career.
“Honestly, I was a little lost. I didn’t know where to go, where to start. What was available. It was a journey of educating myself,” Cervantes said.
A disability made things harder, she said. Unsure where to go, Cervantes discovered a free vocational rehabilitation program through the Texas Workforce Commission. A counselor helped her return to school and cover her tuition for a master’s degree in architecture.
“It was honestly one of the greatest decisions I could have ever made. Truthfully. If I had the chance to do it again, I would,” Cervantes said.
The September jobs report shows the female veteran unemployment rate is nearly double that of nonveteran women. For disabled veterans, the unemployment rate is double that of non-disabled people.
Experts say the most challenging part is getting people to ask for help.
“I hate to say it, no hope of being successful in being able to take care of their family, and just having all of the hope in the world,” Jo Ikard, a district manager with the Texas Veterans Commission, said.
Cervantes said she feels she has made another life-changing decision and hopes it will help her for the rest of her life.
“Just extremely blessed and so thankful for these programs and the work they put in not just for me but for everyone they help,” Cervantes said.
The services are available through Workforce Solutions locations, which offer jobs and other resources. Experts on the programs will be available Thursday morning starting at 9 a.m. as part of ABC13’s Who’s Hiring Job Fair, which will also cover a hiring event for veterans.
ABC13 will also have information about Workforce Solutions’ large hiring red, white, and you event for veterans happening in November.
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