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Tilson CEO Josh Broder
Updated: February 20, 2020
283 veterans land Maine jobs during 2019 Hire-A-Vet campaign
Courtesy / Maine Department of Labor
Maine's annual Hire-A-Vet campaign got off to a strong start last August with a hiring fair in Augusta that drew a record turnout. A total of 283 veterans were hired during the 100-day campaign.
Maine employers including Tilson, Bath Iron Works and Dead River Co. hired a total of 283 veterans during the 2019 Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign that ran from Labor Day to Dec. 9. The jobs pay an average hourly wage of $22.78.
The Maine Department of Labor shared the results of the latest 100-day campaign and its cumulative ones, saying the drive has connected nearly 900 employers with more than 1,300 veteran hires since its launch in 2015.
A total of 254 employers participated in 2019, up from 191 that participated in 2018. Of the 283 veterans that were hired, 51 were female veterans. All 16 counties in Maine had openings and veteran hires, according to the state.
Among the 11 businesses with the most hires from the 2019 drive, Portland-based Tilson hired 15, according to CEO Joshua Broder, a 2018 Mainebiz Business Leader of the Year and a veteran himself.
"We applaud other participating companies that hired many more, as well as those small companies and those new to the program that hired few or none," he told Mainebiz on Wednesday.
"Regardless of the number hired, the exposure that companies got to veteran candidates and the experience those veteran candidates got meeting interested employers provide a huge benefit to them both by opening eyes to the world of potential employment opportunities and diversity of experience in job seekers. We know this will impact hiring practices and applicant aspirations year-round."
Northern Light Health, state among top 11
Other companies in the 2019's top 11 were General Dynamics Corp.'s Bath Iron Works, Northern Light Health, VA Togus-Veterans Health Administration and the Veteran Benefits Administration, the state of Maine, Dead River Co., the city of Portland, Casella Waste Systems, Helical Solutions, Maine Veterans' Homes and Estes Oil.
Even without the campaign, Dead River and Tilson are among companies that employ a large proportion of veterans.
The Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign is a partnership between the Labor Department and its CareerCenters, Portland-based nonprofit Boots2Roots, Easter Seals and its Veterans Count program, the Maine National Guard Employment Support Program, Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, Transition Assistance Advisors, VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, and State Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment.
"Maine's 2019 Hire-A-Vet campaign continues the important work of matching military talent with great Maine businesses,” Bill Benson, executive director of Boots2Roots, told Mainebiz. “We are already looking forward to next year's event."
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