State program promoting employment of veterans nears target

A state program that helps Virginia businesses hire veterans is expected to meet an employment target a year ahead of schedule.

The 669 companies in the Virginia Values Veterans (V3) program have hired more than 18,000 veterans since 2014. That hiring total is expected to reach 20,000 by January, one year ahead of schedule.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced the employment numbers on Wednesday at a workforce conference in Richmond sponsored by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

McAuliffe said that in August 2014 he challenged the program’s manager, Andy Schwartz, to get 10,000 veterans hired by V3-certified companies in four years. The program met that goal 900 days ahead of schedule.

The governor then doubled the goal to 20,000 hires by the end of his term in January 2018. The program is on a pace to pass that target one year early.

“Virginia has the fastest-growing population of veterans in the nation, and we have an obligation to give back to those who served our country,” McAuliffe said in a statement. “The V3 program has been central to our efforts – encouraging companies to prioritize and maintain goals to hire and retain veterans.”

During the conference, the governor presented 22 awards to employers in three categories: the V3 Governor’s Award recognized employers for the total number of veterans hired in Virginia, the V3 Perseverando Award recognized companies for helping to make Virginia a veteran-friendly state and the Commonwealth Award, which recognized employers for outstanding strategic contributions to the V3 program.

The V3 Governor’s Award winners are:

Enterprise Employer category (1,001 employees)
• CACI International, Inc.
Large Employer category (301-1,000 employees)
• CDI Marine Co.
Medium Employer (51-300 employees)
• PD Systems
Small Company (1-50 employees)
• AVMAC
State Agency (Large)
• Virginia Department of Corrections
State Agency (Small)
• Virginia Department of Labor and Industry

The winners of the V3 Perseverando Award are:
• Dominion Enterprises Inc.
• Stratford University
• ITA International
• Prism, Inc.
• Virginia Department of Corrections

The winners of the Commonwealth Award are:
• Virginia Department of Human Resource Management
• Northern Virginia Technology Council
• Virginia Chamber of Commerce
• Virginia Association of Workforce Directors
• Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
• Virginia National Guard
• Virginia Veteran and Family Support
• Virginia State Approving Agency
• Virginia SHRM State Council
• Virginia Employment Commission
• Virginia Economic Development Partnership