Blake Hall
One of Virginia’s veteran hiring initiatives, Virginia Values Veterans (V3), reports that its efforts are responsible for Virginia companies hiring 1,450 veterans in the third quarter of 2014. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe credits the organization with motivating participating companies to hire 6,636 veterans in Virginia since the program’s inception in 2012.
The V3 initiative is part of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, and it is an educational program for companies looking to hire veterans. V3’s mission is “to educate and train employers throughout the Commonwealth on the Value of Virginia’s Veterans, and to help employers connect with these personnel assets to maximize the productivity of their workforce.”
Any company looking to join V3 participates in an initial training process, which includes developing a corporate Veteran Hiring Plan and learning about the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act. Once training is complete, V3 assess the company for readiness and, if found to meet V3’s standards, enrolls the organization as a V3 Member Company. Companies who complete additional training requirements within one year are elevated to V3 Certified Companies. V3 Certified Companies currently include Lockheed Martin, Capital One, and the Virginia Beach Police Department.
To learn more about Virginia’s Department of Veterans Services, visit them online. To learn more about job placement assistance for veterans in Virginia, visit the Virginia Employment Commission’s veterans page.