Lincoln Laboratory receives 2024 HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion Award
The U.S. Department of Labor recognized Lincoln Laboratory with the HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion Award for demonstrating unparalleled commitment to attracting and retaining veterans. U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su presented the award during a virtual award ceremony on October 31, 2024. The Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans (HIRE Vets) Act Medallion Program is the only federal award program that recognizes employers who successfully recruit, hire, and retain veterans.
“We are so proud to have earned the HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion Award this year,” says Shelby Soleimani, a talent acquisition and operations manager in the Laboratory's Human Resources Department. "At the Laboratory, hiring veterans is vital to our success. Our veterans understand the mission of the Laboratory, having worked in the field themselves. They also bring a diversity of thought as well as valuable skills and experience. Our culture at the Laboratory benefits greatly from their teamwork and leadership."
This is the first time the Laboratory has achieved the Platinum Award, after earning the Gold Award for four consecutive years. To reach Platinum, the Laboratory as a large employer had to demonstrate at least a 10% hiring rate and 85% retention rate of veterans in addition to having veteran integration-assistance programs.
"Congratulations to everyone who worked on achieving this Platinum Award," says Sarah Larson, the assistant head of the Human Resources Department. "These awards take time and much effort to compile the data and share our programs. I am so proud to work for an organization that is consistently demonstrating how much it values working with veterans."
In receiving a 2024 HIRE Vets Medallion Award, the Laboratory joins 838 other companies from 49 states and the District of Columbia who have shown a commitment both to hiring veterans and to ensuring they have a long-term career and growth plan that values the diverse skills acquired through their military service. All recipients of the awards meet rigorous criteria, including percentages of veteran hiring and retention, availability of veteran-specific resources, leadership programs for veterans, dedicated Human Resources efforts, and tuition assistance programs.