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.
