On November 10th, 8-koi was recognized during a virtual ceremony as a Gold Medallion Awardee for the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans (HIRE Vets) Medallion Program by U.S. Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh. A total of 849 organizations across the United States received awards.
Implemented by the requirements of the HIRE Vets Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-31), the HIRE Vets Medallion Award is the only federal award recognizing exceptional achievement in veteran employment. By meeting the criteria required for a Gold Medallion Award, 8-koi “demonstrated both patriotism and recognition of the value veterans bring to the workplace.”
During the official awarding event conducted virtually at www.HIREVets.gov/ceremony, remarks were made from the Secretary of Labor, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, and the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff about the commitment of winning organizations to hire veterans and ensuring that they have a long-term career and growth plan that uses the diverse skills they acquired through their military service. The event included a virtual roundtable where Secretary Walsh discussed the HIRE Vets Medallion Award with three recipients of the award.
“We are both grateful and excited about this award,” says 8-koi President Inga Young. “It recognizes the hard work by our organization in identifying suitable opportunities that both challenge and reward our Veterans’ drive and unmatched work ethic. As a defense contractor, 8-koi is deeply aware of our responsibility as mission partner to provide our best support possible to our Nation’s uniformed personnel.”
8-koi Corporate Recruiter Carlos Badillo adds, “In screening candidates, we value the hard-earned skills and experience that Veterans bring to the table. They are an invaluable contribution to the human capital of our organization, allowing us to gain a better understanding of the needs and expectations of our military clients so that we can provide our signature ‘human touch’ to the joint mission partnership.”
Recipients of the 2021 HIRE Vets Medallion Award meet rigorous employment and veteran integration
assistance criteria, including veteran hiring and retention percentages; availability of veteran-specific resources;
leadership programming for veterans; dedicated human resource efforts; pay compensation and tuition
assistance programs for veterans. More than 1,400 employers have earned a HIRE Vets Medallion Award since 2018.
The HIRE Vets Medallion Award is earned by businesses that demonstrate unparalleled commitment to attracting, hiring and retaining veterans. The 2022 HIRE Vets Medallion Award application period will open to employers on Jan. 31, 2022. For more information about the program and the application process, visit HIREVets.gov. There are different awards for large employers (500-plus employees), medium employers (51-499 employees), and small employers (50 or fewer employees). Additionally, there are two award tiers: platinum and gold.
Visit our Careers page to view the current opportunities with 8-koi.
