HIRE Vets Medallion Award recognizes employers who hire and retain Veterans
The 2020 HIRE Vets Medallion Award application is now open to employers until April 30, 2020. The HIRE Vets Medallion Award is a Labor Department recognition for employers that commit to hiring and retaining Veterans into meaningful, family-sustaining careers.
There are many Veteran employment-related awards, lists, and rankings. However, it can be overwhelming for Veterans (and others) to differentiate between the employers committed to providing jobs and the employers committed to providing meaningful, long-term careers. The HIRE Vets Medallion Award is the only federal Veterans’ employment award that recognizes and honors employers’ commitment to Veteran hiring, retention, and professional development—and it carries the full weight of the federal government.
In 2019, DOL recognized over 400 large, medium, and small employers that earned the HIRE Vets Medallion Award–an increase from the 200 employers it saluted in 2018. These companies came from 48 states, plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, to hire more than 52,000 Veterans. The HIRE Vets Medallion Award recipients have demonstrated they understand the challenges that Veterans face when entering the workforce, as well as how to address those challenges and how to help Veterans succeed.
Long term
It’s easy for many companies to hire Veterans; it’s much harder to retain and train those Veterans for long-term prosperity. The HIRE Vets Medallion Award Program recognizes the employers that focus on this long-term goal. They are the companies that provide leadership opportunities, host Veteran resource (affinity) groups, offer professional development and training, and more:
These companies have Veterans on staff to help new Veteran employees become more well-rounded leaders in the company and their community.
They group employees into small teams, similar to the small unit leadership skills Veterans learn in the military.
They work to ease the transition from military to civilian life by providing a structured work environment that also focuses on the camaraderie service members love.
Lastly, they help their Veterans set specific career goals and plans, and identify training opportunities to achieve those goals.
Other resources
There are also a number of resources for service members to help them navigate their transition to civilian careers. DOL partners with agencies and programs, such as the VA and Department of Defense, to ensure transitioning service members and Veterans have access to world-class resources that support their skill sets. DOL’s Veteran’s Employment and Training Service (VETS) offers access to both employer and future employee resources such as American Job Centers and Employment and Vocational Training Track workshops for transitioning service members.
Now, with the HIRE Vets Medallion Award Program, DOL can provide these resources while helping Veterans more easily identify employers dedicated to furthering their careers. One way to do that is by visiting the newly added Awardee page at HIREVets.gov, which allows recipients to add a hyperlink to the map listing and allows potential employees to find them at HIREVets.gov/Awardees.
The HIRE Vets Medallion Award Program isn’t just about hiring – it’s about Veteran careers. Visit HIREVets.gov to learn more about the 2020 program, requirements, and to see the list of 2019 and 2018 HIRE Vets Medallion Award recipients.
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