Today, at the second annual Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Summit, Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that the Department of Veterans Services’ Virginia Values Veterans Program (V3) has certified 213 Virginia employers at the completion of its second year. These employers have committed to providing over 7,000 jobs for Virginia’s veterans, and 5,339 Virginia veterans have already been hired.V3 is an innovative best practice initiative developed in support of Governor McAuliffe’s goal of positioning Virginia as the most veteran-friendly state in the nation.
Speaking about the announcement, Governor McAuliffe said, “This program is unique in that it aims to build vital public-private partnerships by leveraging state and federal agencies and industry leaders to share resources and educate employers on how to tap into the exceptional pool of talented veterans, National Guard and reservists in Virginia’s workforce. I recently unveiled the “Patriot Pledge”, as part of Executive Order 23, which will play a vital role in supporting the Virginia Values Veterans program and advancing my goal of building a New Virginia Economy by asking 10,000 businesses to sign a pledge of commitment to hire more veterans by 2018. I am pleased to announce that Altria, a V3 Certified Company, has generously agreed to grant the V3 Program $100,000 over the next year to double the V3 employer-training efforts. This funding will help us rapidly expand our reach to Virginia’s employers.”
Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs John C. Harvey, Jr. said, “Virginia is committed to helping our returning service members’ transition from active duty to civilian life by providing many tools to make that transition a success for veterans and their families. The V3 program was established to assist veterans with one of the most integral keys to a successful transition, finding employment that will allow them to draw from the wealth of skills learned during their military career and apply those skills effectively in the civilian workforce.”
Paul Galanti, Commissioner of Veterans Services, said, “The V3 program is a win-win for Virginia’s employers and transitioning veterans. It serves as an outstanding resource for businesses to gain valuable strategies for hiring employees who are talented, loyal, show up on time, take direction well, and thrive in a team environment. Hiring veterans will be one of the best decisions these companies make.”
Upcoming Employer Training Events
- September 23 – Virginia Beach, VA
- October 28 – Prince William County, VA
Each training day will cover topics such as understanding the value of hiring veterans; building a business case for hiring veterans; and best practices in recruiting, hiring, and retaining veterans. This training is free and open to any company that wants to make veterans a part of their workforce. To learn more visit www.dvsV3.com.
About the Virginia Values Veterans Program
The Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Program is an official Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Veterans Services Program whose 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 to maximize the productivity of their workforce.
Individuals or organizations interested in learning more about these and additional V3 events should visit:www.dvsV3.com. The V3 program is largely supported through private donations and sponsorships to augment the training services provided by the Commonwealth. Inquiries regarding the V3 program should be made to Andrew Schwartz, the V3 Program Manager, at 804.786.0597 or [email protected]
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