Virginia Values Veterans program certifies 1,000th employer

Reston-based computer software company Carahsoft Technology is the 1,000th employer to earn certification from the state government’s Virginia Values Veterans (V3) program, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday.

Administered by the Department of Veterans Services, the V3 program is designed to connect Virginia veterans to the  workforce, assisting with recruiting, hiring, training and retaining military veterans in civilian jobs. 

“As a veteran, it’s important to me that Virginia welcomes and supports the men and women who have served in our armed forces,” Northam said in a statement. “Veterans learn valuable leadership and other skills during their time in the military, and V3 helps connect them with companies that can benefit from their abilities and talents.”

Virginia has more than 700,000 veterans, and Northam has set a goal of 65,000 V3 hires during his term of office. The program has helped 59,000 Virginia veterans find a civilian job since 2012 — with 28,400 hirings during Northam’s tenure and an additional 700 employers pursuing V3 training and certification. 

Not all organizations are eligible to be in the V3 state program, which requires employers to commit to hiring veterans based on company size. V3 companies can qualify for up to $10,000 in grants, with $1,000 being awarded per eligible veteran hired.

Carahsoft has more than 1,000 employees and has brought in $5.6 billion in revenues since it was founded in 2004.

“Carahsoft has been honored to add veterans, guardsmen, reservists and military spouses to our team, which now numbers more than 1,400,” Carahsoft President Craig P. Abod said in a statement. “Through the V3 program, we will accelerate our efforts in this area, as service members play an essential role in building a competent and successful workforce to meet the needs of our public sector partners.”

Virginia Business’ Best Places to Work 2020 Small Companies Winner was Patriot Group International Inc., which is also a V3 company. Three-quarters of Patriot Group’s 501-person workforce are veterans.