Governor Josh Stein, North Carolina Department of Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley, and North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Secretary Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette are encouraging North Carolina employers to hire veterans and to apply for recognition with a HIRE Vets Medallion Award, an official program of the U.S. Department of Labor. The application period ends April 30, 2026.
“The record number of HIRE Vets awardees from North Carolina in 2025 represents the commitment of this state’s employers to support our military community," said Governor Josh Stein. "As we strive to be the most military-friendly state, this program is an excellent way for North Carolina’s businesses to demonstrate their eagerness to provide high-quality career opportunities for talented veterans and their families.”
HIRE Vets medallions are the only federal-level veterans employment awards that recognize an organization's commitment to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. In 2025, 34 North Carolina employers received a HIRE Vets Medallion Award, a record number of award recipients for the state and an increase from the 28 that were recognized in 2024.
The N.C. Department of Commerce pioneered a first-of-its-kind online feature that highlights North Carolina employers that have received the HIRE Vets medallion award on the NCWorks job search site and on the NCWorks Veterans Portal. Located at veterans.ncworks.gov, the Veterans Portal is a tool that helps veterans more easily find jobs that the recognized companies are advertising. In 2025, more than 21,000 users visited the Veterans Portal.
Veterans and their families are among the undertapped talent pools that the Governor's Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships has emphasized. Governor Stein created the council in 2025 to develop goals and strategies to enhance North Carolina’s workforce development efforts. The council has recommended ways to support veterans' access to work-based learning and career opportunities through strategic partnerships with state officials, education leaders, employers, and other stakeholders.
“By investing in our military veterans community, North Carolina’s employers are expanding access to workforce opportunities for veterans and assisting in the transition to civilian life,” said N.C. Department of Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “North Carolina is the top state for business and for workforce development because of our people, and we thank the many employers who strengthen that workforce by recognizing the skills and valuable experience veterans bring.”
“North Carolina veterans and military families bring leadership, adaptability, and resilience to the workplace every day, which is why we recently launched a roadshow series to bring together employers, workforce leaders, and community partners to strengthen veteran and military-spouse employment opportunities,” said Secretary Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette of the NC Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NC DMVA). “We are proud to join forces with the N.C. Department of Commerce and others to support veterans and their families and to inform businesses about tools like the HIRE Vets program.”
The HIRE Vets Medallion Award is based on several criteria, ranging from hiring and retaining veterans veterans to providing veteran-specific resources, leadership programming, dedicated human resources, and compensation and tuition assistance programs – with requirements varying for large, medium, and small employers. There is a fee to apply for the HIRE Vets Medallion Program, and that money is used to cover the costs associated with carrying out the HIRE Vets Act. The fee for large employers is $640 per applicant, the fee for medium employers is $250 per applicant, and the fee for small employers is $120 per applicant.
of the North Carolina employers recognized by the program is the Charlotte-based nonprofit, Veterans Bridge Home.
“At Veterans Bridge Home, we are committed to connecting, leading, and advocating in communities to ensure service members, veterans, and their families thrive,” said Blake Bourne, President and CEO for VBH. “We are proud to be a recipient of the Platinum HIRE Vets award and to champion the value veterans bring both to our organization and to others. Founded by a veteran family for veterans and their families, VBH is shaped by the lived experience, leadership, and skills of our veteran teammates. Together, we are building stronger communities, one veteran at a time.”
The N.C. Department of Commerce, working in close partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, employs 48 NCWorks Veterans Services professionals (all of whom are veterans themselves). Their primary mission is to help eligible veterans find good jobs and training opportunities. These professionals are located across the state at local NCWorks Career Centers, which serve veterans and other jobseekers while also helping employers meet their talent needs. The department also partners with North Carolina For Military Employment (NC4ME) on special hiring events.
To learn more and apply for the HIRE Vets Medallion Award Program, go to www.HireVets.gov.
Employers and veterans may also visit or contact an NCWorks Career Center for assistance. Contact information for each career center is found at www.NCWorks.gov.
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NCWorks Veterans Services are 100 percent supported by the Jobs for Veterans State Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor as part of an award totaling $5,643,770.