His Royal Highness Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Her Royal Highness Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge joined an estimated 1,500 veterans and their spouses, as well as government partners, at a “Hiring our Heroes” hiring fair in Los Angeles. The event highlighted a shared dedication to honoring our veterans by assisting them as they re-enter civilian life.

“The veterans today are dedicated hard working men and women who bring with them skills that make them outstanding employees and events like this one today show that employers recognize that fact,” said Peter J. Gravett, Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs, who joined the Royal Couple at today’s event.

“We share a common goal with the royal couple – finding meaningful and good-paying jobs for the men and women who have volunteered to go in harm’s way in defense of liberty,” said Pam Harris, Chief Deputy Director of the California Employment Development Department. “For decades, the EDD has led the way in helping our veterans successfully transition from military life to successful careers in civilian life. It continues this long tradition today, with a special emphasis on the men and women coming home from combat zones in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

The “Hiring our Heroes Los Angeles” was held at Sony Pictures Studios and attracted 200 California employers. The event is one of 100 to be held by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce throughout the nation this year.

A foundation established by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and his brother, Prince Harry, focuses not only on British veterans but Americans who fought alongside them around the world, Foundation Chief Executive Nick Booth said. The job fair is “a great opportunity to explore ways we might also be able to work together to ensure veterans and military families have the best possible support as they re-enter civilian life,” Booth said.

The U.S and Los Angeles Chambers of Commerce partnered in “Hiring our Heroes Los Angeles” with the U.S Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Services, California Employment Development Department (EDD), ServiceNation: Mission Serve, the U.S. Defense Department, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, the Society for Human Resource Management, and United Way of Los Angeles.

California’s wide-ranging job assistance for veterans includes a series of nine “Honor a Hero, Hire a Vet” job fairs being held throughout the state this year. Now in its fifth year, this initiative has matched thousands of veterans with hundreds of employers. The fairs offer veterans a unique opportunity to meet with employers who have high-quality job openings and resource agencies that offer a wide range of employment services.

Joining EDD in sponsoring these fairs are the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Apprenticeship Standards, and California Community Colleges.

California is home to nearly 2 million veterans, the most in the nation.

Each year 30,000 men and women leave military service and return to civilian life in California. Military training provides them with technical skills and leadership experience and instills a commitment to teamwork, but many still struggle to find jobs. The “Honor a Hero, Hire a Vet” initiative helps match them with employers who value their skills. This year’s events build on the successes of fairs which matched thousands of veterans with employers and service providers over the past four years.