THE CITY OF HARKER HEIGHTS RECEIVES 2024 HIRE VETS MEDALLION AWARD FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Harker Heights, Texas – U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie A. Su recognized the City of Harker Heights as one of the 839 recipients of the 2024 HIRE Vets Medallion Award during a virtual award ceremony presented by U.S. Department of Labor. The City of Harker Heights earned the gold award after applying earlier this year. The Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act (HIRE Vets Act) Medallion Program is the only federal award program that recognizes employers who successfully recruit, hire, and retain veterans.
The City of Harker Heights has a dedication to not only hiring veterans but also providing them with long-term career development opportunities that utilize the unique skills they gained during their military service. The City has a goal to mentor and grow internal employees; which include veterans and non-veterans, to become leaders among all departments of the City. Our employees are nominated to attend various programs, such as the Tony Korioth Supervisor Academy, Vision XXI Harker Heights Leadership Program, The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas, and a variety of internal and external leadership classes. As of December 31, 2023, 26% of City of Harker Heights employees were veterans and 11% of employees were veterans who were in leadership positions, primarily in the Police and Fire Department.
The City of Harker Heights joins 838 other companies from 49 states, plus the District of Columbia, who have shown a commitment to hiring veterans, but also ensuring that they have a long-term career and growth plan that uses the diverse skills they acquired through their military service.
Recipients of the 2024 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 1,600 employers have earned a HIRE Vets Medallion Award since 2019.
About the City of Harker Heights:
The City of Harker Heights is a home rule city operating under a Council-Manager form of government. It is the only municipality in Texas to have achieved this distinction. The city's governing authority is vested in the elected City Council, which enacts local legislation, adopts budgets, sets policies, and hires the City Manager. The City Manager is responsible for executing laws and overseeing the administration of the city's government. For more information, please visit harkerheights.gov.
About the HIRE Vets Medallion Program:
The HIRE Vets Medallion Award is earned by businesses that demonstrate unparalleled commitment to attracting, hiring and retaining veterans. The 2025 HIRE Vets Medallion Award application period will open to employers on Jan. 31, 2025. 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.
City of Harker Heights Selected as 2025 VETS Indexes Employer Award
We are pleased to inform you that the City of Harker Heights has been selected as a Recognized VETS Indexes Employer in the 2025 VETS Indexes Employer Awards! Congratulations on this achievement!
As the most objective and comprehensive evaluation of veteran employers, the VETS Indexes Employer Awards program has set a new standard in veteran employment data. VETS Indexes and its Employer Awards have been featured on CNBC, Fox Business, and BNN Bloomberg, as well as military-specific outlets, including Military.com, Military Times, and Stars & Stripes. This in-depth survey and recognition program analyzes employers’ policies, practices, and outcomes in detail, across the following five categories:
- Veteran job candidate recruiting and hiring
- Veteran employee development and retention
- Veteran-inclusive policies and culture
- Support for members of the National Guard and Reserves
- Military spouse/family support
For more information on the process and methodology behind the VETS Indexes Employer Awards, please click this link: https://vetsindexes.com/employer-awards-methodology. To register and participate in the upcoming 2026 VETS Indexes Employer Awards competition, please click here: https://vetsindexes.com/employer-awards/. View the complete list of 2025 VETS Index awardees here
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As the world’s first resource for U.S.-veteran-themed indexes, our mission is to provide innovative solutions that recognize the value created by the mission-critical mindset, unique skills, and specialized training veterans bring to the workplace. Our mission also includes a commitment to always donate a significant portion (target of 20% and no less than 5%) of our net profits to charitable organizations that support veterans and their families.
The Partnership for Your Success (PaYS) Program is a strategic partnership between the U.S. Army and a cross section of corporations, companies, and public sector agencies. The Program provides America's Soldiers with an opportunity to serve their country while they prepare for their future. PaYS Partners guarantee Soldiers an interview and possible employment after the Army. This unique Program is part of the Army's effort to partner with America's business community and reconnect America with its Army.
The PaYS Program began in 2000 as an enlistment incentive for Regular Army enlisted Soldiers. In October 2002, the Program expanded to include Army Reserve Soldiers. The Program later expanded to include Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) Reserve Component Cadets, ROTC Cadets who incur an active duty commitment, Officer Candidate School (OCS), Warrant Officer Flight Training (WOFT) and the Army National Guard (ARNG).
In In April 2011, the U.S. Army Marketing and Research Group (AMRG), a field operating agency of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, assumed the responsibility for administering and managing the PaYS Program. Upon AMRG's dissolution, TRADOC, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, became the proponent on 01 October 2019.
Visit https://www.armypays.com/ for more information.
