For Immediate Release: January 12, 2023

**186 People Hired During the 2022 Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign, at an Average Hourly Wage of Over $33**

*The annual campaign's goal is for 100+ employers to hire 100+ veterans during 100 days.*

AUGUSTA - Final results are in: a total of 186 veterans and military family members, including 40 women veterans, were hired during the 2022 Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign! Responding to the needs of the veteran and military service community, the 2022 campaign featured both in-person and virtual events.

"Thanks to the Hire-A-Vet Campaign, 186 veterans and military family members have secured a good-paying job with Maine employers that will benefit greatly from their experience, dependability, and dedication," **said Governor Janet Mills.** "Veterans offer tremendous skills gained from diverse experiences and unique training that can substantially contribute to our workforce. My administration will continue to do all we can to support our veterans, including assisting them in finding good-paying, rewarding careers here in Maine."

The Maine Hire-A-Vet campaign provides support for employers to expand the hiring of veterans through a network of state and federal agencies, resources and nonprofits, education on military language and culture, recruiting and hiring assistance, as well as recognition for the hiring and advancement of veterans and military family members.

"Thank you to everyone who made the 2022 Campaign so successful," **Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman said.** "Through this collaboration, we not only exceeded our annual goal of getting 100 veterans hired within 100 days, but also saw the average hourly wage of hires increase exponentially. While we are already looking forward to next year's campaign, employers and job seekers do not need to wait - our CareerCenters provide services for veterans, their families, and employers all year round."

The 2022 campaign kicked off on August 18, 2022 with an in-person hiring fair at the Augusta Civic Center and ended on November 25, 2022.

The average hourly wage of veterans hired was $33.12, an increase of $9 from the 2021 campaign. In 2022, 209 employers signed on to the campaign, and all sixteen counties in the state had veteran hires in them. During the campaign, 102 participants attended 11 educational programs to serve veteran and non-veteran job seekers and employers.

The five employers that had the most hires during the 2022 campaign were Bonney Staffing, MaineGeneral Health, Northern Light Health, General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works, and the Maine Department of Corrections.

**2022 campaign sponsors included:** Gold Sponsors General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works and MaineGeneral Health; Silver Sponsors Oakhurst, Elmet Technologies, Maine Bureau of Veteran Services, and Maine Department of Corrections; as well as Bronze Sponsors Boots2Roots, City of Augusta, Destination Occupation, Sport Clips, Moody Collision Centers, Northern Light Health, NRF Distributors, and Reed & Reed.

The campaign has connected over 1,200 employers with over 1,800 veteran-hires since its inception in 2015 and has been recognized as a best practice by the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA).

The Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign is a partnership between the Maine Department of Labor Veterans Employment Team and its CareerCenters, Boots2Roots, the Maine National Guard Employment Support Program, Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, VA Veteran Readiness and Employment, State Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, Military OneSource along with numerous business partners throughout the state.

Learn more at https://www.mainecareercenter.gov/hireavet.shtml, and follow the campaign on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mainehireavet .

Veterans, military family members and civilians seeking assistance in job search and training are encouraged to contact their closest Maine CareerCenter, which can be found online at https://www.mainecareercenter.gov/locations . Veterans Representatives and Career Counselors are available at each location.