The percentage of new hires into the federal workforce made up by veterans has increased to 30.2 percent from 26.8 percent this time last year, OPM has said.
Together with representatives of the Department’s of Veterans Affairs and Labor it told a White House council on veterans employment that a veterans employment initiative established by executive order resulted in an overall increase of 2,600 veteran hires in the first half of fiscal 2010 compared to the first half of fiscal 2009.
The initiative has included a government-wide marketing campaign conveying the value of veterans, a website – www.fedshirevets.gov — a veterans employment symposium which trained HR and hiring managers on how to recruit vets and use hiring authorities, and the establishment of veterans employment program offices in 24 agencies as well as the development of a government-wide veterans employment and recruitment strategic plan.
DoD has historically employed a larger share of veterans but other agencies are reporting increases including the Departments of Treasury, Agriculture, Justice and Interior.
The President’s Interagency Council on Veterans Employment, which is driving the initiative, adopted a new benchmark for veteran hiring among federal agencies.
According to OPM a hiring percentage will now guide an agency’s goal-setting based on the current percentage of veterans hired, to include disabled veterans. Agencies with a lower hiring percentage will have more aggressive goals, and would graduate to other tiers based on their performance, OPM said.
