Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders are encouraging North Carolina employers to hire veterans and to apply for recognition with a HIRE Vets Medallion Award, an official program of the U.S. Department of Labor.
The application period runs through April 30, 2024.
“We’re grateful for our veterans whose military service and sacrifice protected our freedom and whose hard work and contributions enrich our communities every day,” said Governor Cooper. “The HIRE Vets program helps great companies hire veterans to demonstrate their support for these heroes and add valuable employees to their teams, while showcasing North Carolina as the most military-friendly state in the nation.”
HIRE Vets medallions are the only federal-level veterans’ employment awards that recognize an organization’s commitment to veteran hiring, retention and professional development. In 2023, 31 North Carolina companies received a HIRE Vets Medallion Award, up from 27 in 2022.
The N.C. Department of Commerce pioneered a first-of-its-kind online feature that highlights North Carolina employers that have received the HIRE Vets Medallion Award on the state’s NCWorks job search portal and on the NCWorks Veterans Portal, located at veterans.ncworks.gov. This tool helps veterans more easily find jobs that the recognized companies are currently advertising.
“We are fortunate to have many employers in North Carolina that value our talented military veterans, whose skills and experience can translate well to careers in a number of fields, from public service to clean energy and electric vehicle manufacturing, among others,” said N.C. Department of Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “We encourage more companies to use the HIRE Vets program as a tool to help them recruit veterans, who have helped to make our state ‘First in Talent.’”
“With an estimated 800 thousand veterans and their families calling North Carolina home, we have a ready and skilled workforce in our communities,” said Secretary Grier Martin, NC Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NC DMVA). “Transitioning from active duty military to veteran status is made easier when veterans and employers connect. While the economic impact can be calculated, the security of supporting your family with meaningful employment is something beyond measure. We appreciate the HIRE Vets Medallion program and all it does to inspire employment opportunities for our veterans.”
The HIRE Vets Medallion Award is based on several criteria, ranging from veteran hiring and retention to providing veteran-specific resources, leadership programming, dedicated human resources, and compensation and tuition assistance programs – with requirements varying for large, medium, and small employers. There is a fee to apply for the HIRE Vets Medallion Program, which is used to cover the costs associated with carrying out the HIRE Vets Act. The fee for large employers is $495 per applicant, the fee for medium employers is $190 per applicant, and the fee for small employers is $90 per applicant.
One of many North Carolina employers recognized by the program to date is Miles Enterprise Solutions, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned business based in Charlotte.
“Miles is honored to receive the Gold HIRE Vets Medallion Award for the second year in a row,” said Anita Staton, Founder/CEO of Miles Enterprise Solutions. “We understand that veterans bring unique skills, experiences, and perspectives to the table, making them invaluable assets to our team. By actively recruiting and hiring veterans, we not only honor their service but also enrich our workforce and strengthen our organization.”
This year, North Carolina is celebrating 50 years of working with the “Jobs for Veterans State Grant” program through the U.S. Department of Labor. As part of this partnership, the N.C. Department of Commerce employs 47 NCWorks Veterans Services professionals (all of whom are veterans themselves). These professionals, located at NCWorks Career Centers across the state, help connect veterans to employers, as well as to training opportunities. The department also partners with North Carolina For Military Employment (NC4ME) on special hiring events.
To learn more and apply for the HIRE Vets Medallion Award Program, go to HireVets.gov.
Employers and veterans may also visit or contact an NCWorks Career Center for assistance. Contact information for each career center is found at NCWorks.gov.
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NCWorks Veterans Services are supported by the Jobs for Veterans State Grant from the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) of the U.S. Department of Labor as part of an award to North Carolina totaling $5,617,461, with 0% financed from non-governmental sources.