The Department of Labor has established a program that recognizes employers who recruit, retain, and employ veterans.
New Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta made the announcement just a week into his tenure, on Friday. The program will recognize companies that help veterans in a manner that encourages other businesses to follow suit, an unnamed source told The Daily Caller News Foundation Monday.
Criteria for the awards will include a company’s percentage of employees who are veterans, the percentage of veteran employees who are retained and whether or not the employer establishes veterans’ assistance and training programs. The criteria will also include income and tuition support for veterans and the employment of dedicated human resources professionals for veterans. President Donald Trump signed the act into law Friday.
Acosta, the son of a Cuban refugee who went on to serve in the U.S. military, appears to have veterans high on his priority list. His father, Rene, served in the U.S. Army after fleeing Cuba and the totalitarian regime of Fidel Castro. (RELATED: Acosta Sworn In As Labor Secretary, Completing Trump’s Cabinet)
“Veterans give an incredible gift to this country, and that giving doesn’t stop when they leave the military,” Acosta said in the press statement. “From technical know-how to leadership skills honed on the battlefield, veterans have a wide range of abilities that make them tremendous assets for the American economy and for any employer,” he continued.
During a Cinco de Mayo celebration, Acosta thanked the vice president for acknowledging his father’s service to the country.
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“The vice president thanked him [my father] for his service,” Acosta said. “And I’d like to publicly thank the vice president for that because for my father, there was no greater honor than being thanked for his service to this nation by the vice president of the United States.”
The Department will solicit, verify and review award applications from employers on an annual basis, and present certificates on Veterans Day.
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