HII shipbuilding receives 2020 HIRE Vets Medallion Award from Dept. of Labor

Posted: Nov 11, 2020 / 03:20 PM MST

Updated: Nov 11, 2020 / 03:21 PM MST

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced Wednesday that the shipbuilding company was the recipient of the Gold 2020 HIRE Vets Medallion Award earlier this week.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia recognized HII as one of the 675 recipients of the award during the virtual ceremony Tuesday. HII currently employs over 6,400 military and current members of the reserves and National Guard.

A statement released by HII says that the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act (HIRE Vets Act) Medallion Program is the only federal award program that recognizes job creators who successfully recruit, hire, and retain veterans.

The award is based on criteria including veteran hiring and retention, leadership programming, dedicated human resources, and compensation and tuition assistance programs.

“It is an honor to be recognized by Secretary Eugene Scalia for our efforts to continuously serve the men and women who serve our nation,” said Bill Ermatinger, HII’s executive vice president and chief human resources officer.

“Fifteen percent of our total workforce consists of both veterans and active-duty military personnel. Their decision to continue their service by working with HII speaks to the quality and dedication they bring to work every day.”