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  2. Veterans
  3. Hire Vets

Employers Hire Vets

Business Services

The Local Veterans Employment Representatives (LVER) are an integral part of the DWD Business Services Team. They provide services to assist businesses to recruit qualified workers, access workforce planning resources, and build a diverse workforce from a broad pool of skilled job candidates. Contact your local LVER.

Training Opportunities

On-the-Job Training: Veteran new hires and prospective workers may qualify for on-the-job training solutions and work experiences to improve retention results. Employers may apply for reimbursement to cover a portion of the training costs.

Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Grant Program: Coordinated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, grants are available to registered 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) non-profit organizations that provide training, technical, business or other assistance to veteran entrepreneurs to improve employment outcomes.

Vets Ready Employer Initiative

The Vets Ready Employer Initiative serves to encourage employers to build a support system within their workplace, hire and retain more veterans, and connect with veterans in the community. Every year the Department of Workforce Development recognizes businesses who have gone above and beyond for the veteran workforce. Businesses are separated into three categories – small, medium, large – and receive gold or silver certification. DWD partners with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Disabled American Veterans - Department of Wisconsin on the Vets Ready Employer Initiative.

U.S. Department of Labor HIRE Vets Medallion Program

The HIRE Vets Medallion Award is a federal level veterans’ employment award that recognizes a company or organization’s commitment to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development.

Hire Heroes: Wisconsin Transitional Jobs Program for Veterans

The Hire Heroes Transitional Jobs Program for Veterans is a public/private partnership that offers local businesses access to subsidized veteran employees with the goal of helping veterans with high barriers gain job skills needed to transition into long-term sustainable employment.

Eligible veterans can enter subsidized employment for up to 1,040 hours to gain new or updated skills through on-the-job training. Employers can train eligible veterans while being reimbursed federal minimum wage.

To be eligible, the individual must meet these requirements:

  1. At least 18 years of age.
  2. Must be a veteran, as defined under Wis. Stat. § 45.01(12).
  3. Must have applied to the program at any time after the date of discharge from military service.
  4. Must be ineligible to participate in the Wisconsin Works program.
  5. Must be unemployed for at least four weeks.
  6. Satisfy all requirements related to substance abuse screening, testing, and treatment.

Interested veterans or employers should contact their local job center for more information and enrollment information.

Program forms

Hiring Incentives and Tax Credits: Employers qualify for hiring incentives and tax credits when promoting workforce diversity and facilitating access to good jobs by hiring veterans with barriers to employment. Examples include:

  • Wisconsin Veterans Employment Grant Program: Coordinated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, employers may receive up to $5,000 in funding over a 12-month period when they hire qualifying veterans.
  • Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC): Employers can access this federal income tax credit to help unemployed veterans gain on-the-job work experience and achieve better employment outcomes.

Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act: Understand an employer's responsibility with regards to reserve and active duty employees.

WisConomy: Offers powerful, easy-to-use tools to help veterans and businesses research economic and labor market data and make informed employment decisions. Create personalized reports and visualizations using the most current data available in Wisconsin to learn about the local labor pool; examine wages and long-term employment projections by industry and occupation; and help determine career goals.

The Hilton Honors Military Program: Provides Transitioning Service Members 100,000 points toward hotel stays to eligible veterans and their spouses who travel for employment related activities such as: job searching, training, and finding housing.