Cannon selected for pilot program

Cannon Air Force Base is among five Air Force bases in the country selected for a three-month pilot program designed to market civilian jobs on base.

The air base has had a difficult time filling the 50 open civilian positions it has because of its remoteness, according to Cannon Public Affairs Chief Capt. Mae-Li Allison.

The jobs range from engineering, logistics and equipment specialists, according to Allison.

At present Cannon employs 569 civilians, according to Allison.

To fill the 50 open positions, Cannon volunteered in the fall to be a test base for a three-month pilot program designed to market Air Force jobs to civilians.

A final Air Force-wide version of the program will be released in the summer, according to a news release.

From mid-March to mid-April, participating air bases like Cannon will start a marketing push to advertise available jobs on posters, radio and television spots.

“It will only be a marketing push. We won’t be having...more jobs advertised because of it,” she said.

Other air bases in the country including Hickam, Fairchild and Laughlin will participate in the program, according to a press release from the Air Force Personnel Center.

“They’re kind of remote bases that probably don’t get very many applicants because of the remoteness of them and so we’re one of those,” Allison said.

Allison said Cannon’s human resources office expects to receive media kits for the program in the next few weeks.

Civilian job openings are listed on the USAJOBS Web site.