Virginia program hires more than 100,000 veterans

More than 100,000 veterans have been hired through a Virginia program that educates and trains veterans and helps connect them with employers, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced.

Virginia Values Veterans, which is run by the Virginia Department of Veteran Services, started in 2012. According to a news release, the program works with employers to develop long-term strategies and best practices to recruit, hire and retain veterans. The department also works with more than 2,100 businesses, educational institutions and state and local government agencies.

The governor made the announcement at the annual V3 Award Luncheon.

“As governor, I have prioritized Virginia’s veterans and [have been] ensuring our highly skilled, trained and disciplined veterans have suitable employment and workforce opportunities in the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said in a statement. “More than 700,000 military veterans call Virginia home and my administration is working every day to make the Commonwealth the best place for our veterans to live, work, and raise a family. The Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Program 100,000th hire is an incredible achievement and demonstrates our unified mission and commendable progress to serve Virginia’s veterans. Hiring veterans not only makes good business sense, it is the right thing to do.”

Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Craig Crenshaw said in a statement that the commonwealth has a special relationship with the military.

“With nearly 30 military installations located within our borders, Virginia has a special relationship with our Armed Forces and those that serve. These service men and women are a real asset to the Commonwealth when they transition from active duty to civilian life,” Crenshaw said. “The V3 Program has proven to make their transition to the civilian workforce easier and much more efficient. Thanks to so many committed V3 Certified Employers such as the ones we honor here today, the V3 Program will continue to fulfill this important mission.”

Paramount Builders, which is a V3 certified employer, made the 100,000th hire, according to the governor’s office.