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All DVS team members in the education, transition, and employment programs are teleworking, and are connected via phone and email, and can perform almost all direct-service activities for Veterans and their families during normal working hours.

About

About The Program

Background

Virginia has a unique opportunity to help Veterans gain career employment. Our Commonwealth has one of the youngest Veterans population in the United States, and the fastest growing Veteran labor force in the United States. Thousands of new Veterans enter Virginia’s workforce each year, and that number is projected to rise in the coming years.

While many employers are unaware of the value Veterans can bring to their workforce, thousands more are seeking to hire Veterans as a part of their workforce but don’t know how.

Two of the most frequent questions pertaining to Veteran employment, from an employer’s perspective are, “Why should I hire a Veteran?” and “Where can I find Veterans to hire?”

The V3 Program not only aims to educate and train companies on why it is a good business decision to recruit, hire, train, and retain Veterans, but also to help those committed companies meet their hiring goals.

The first V3 Conference was held in Richmond, VA on June 12, 2012, where 63 employers representing over 50 companies came to hear about a new opportunity to connect their companies with a highly-skilled, well-educated, and easily-trained leadership talent pool: Virginia’s Veterans. Hailed by the governor as an Economic Development Initiative rather than a jobs-program, the Department of Veterans Services engaged in this venture with a firm confidence that hiring Veterans is not just the right thing to do; understanding who Veterans are and hiring them will allow businesses to increase the productivity and efficiency of their workforce.

Truly, Virginia employers have recognized the Value that Veterans can bring to their workforce.

The V3 Program is divided into four regions for private sector employers. Each region is supported by a Regional Program Analyst. All public sector employers (i.e. State Agencies, Local Governments and affiliates) are supported by the V3 Program Analyst.

For inquiries concerning enrollment, certification, or re-certification, please contact the appropriate V3 Team Manager. Learn more about the V3 Team here.

The Virginia Values Veterans Program is a free training and certification program for employers to help them implement nationally recognized best practices in recruiting, hiring, and retaining highly-skilled and dependable Veterans.

The V3 Program is an official Commonwealth of Virginia Program, authorized under the Code of Virginia (§ 2.2-2001.2). It is organized under the directorate of Veterans Education, Training, and Employment (VETE), within the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS), an agency of the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs.

 

Veteran with Children Hug

Authority and Mandate

The Code of Virginia (§ 2.2-2001.2) mandates the Department of Veterans Services (DVS) to:

develop a comprehensive program to reduce unemployment among veterans by assisting businesses to attract, hire, train, and retain veterans. Such program shall promote strategies for connecting employers to qualified veterans and include (i) a workforce assessment and training program for participating employers and (ii) a certification process for participating employers with the objective of setting measurable goals for hiring and retaining veterans.

How it Works

Step 1:

Enroll

To begin, submit an Online Application via the link below. We will assign a regional manager to assist with V3 certification. Enrollment, Training, and Certification are FREE.

Online Application
Step 2:

Training

The V3 Team puts on regular V3 employer training seminars throughout the state, as well as conducts online training seminars to help enrolled V3 companies complete the training requirements for state certification.

View Events
Step 3:

Certification

After certification, your company is listed in our “Certified Companies” page. After being certified you can also apply for the V3 Grant for qualified Veterans employed by your company/agency.

Grant Application

Ready To Enroll?

Enroll Now