Working to help members of the military make the transition to civilian jobs may come with its own intrinsic rewards, but the Bowling Green-based South Central Workforce Development Board is also garnering some extrinsic recognition for its work with transitioning military members through its presence at the Fort Campbell U.S. Army base.

Earlier this month, the local workforce board was announced as one of four Kentucky recipients of the U.S. Department of Labor’s 2023 HIRE (Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing) Vets Medallion Award.

“This recognition highlights the tremendous value and significance of hiring veterans,” Jon Sowards, president and CEO of the workforce board, said in a news release. “When an employer hires a vet, they not only express gratitude for their service, but they also tap into an incredible pool of talent.”

The workforce board joined Paducah employers HHO Carbon Clean Systems and M. Dean Owen CPA and Prospect company Artemis Electronics as HIRE Vets winners from Kentucky.

Nationwide, more than 800 employers were recognized with HIRE Vets awards for successfully recruiting, hiring and retaining military veterans.

The recognition program was started in 2017 following passage of the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act. HIRE Vets recipients must meet standards that include reaching hiring and retention benchmarks and providing veteran integration assistance.

Thanks to its posting of a staff member at Fort Campbell’s transition center last year, the local workforce board can check off nearly all the criteria.

Financed through the $36,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds contributed by both Warren Fiscal Court and the city of Bowling Green, the Kentucky Career Navigator position has given the workforce board direct access to those preparing to leave the military.

Michael Dailey, himself a military veteran, was hired last year for the career navigator position and has been working to connect Fort Campbell soldiers to job opportunities in the Bowling Green area.

“I talk to the transitioning soldiers about job opportunities and the quality of life in Bowling Green,” Dailey said shortly after he was hired. “I try to help them make a nice smooth transition to civilian life.”

The work is slowly reaping rewards, Sowards said.

“It’s not bearing as much fruit as I would like, but we have some veterans venturing into employment opportunities and internships,” he said.

One employer that has benefited from the workforce board’s efforts to bring military veterans into the local workforce is the Bowling Green Police Department, says BGPD Professional Standards Sgt. Brad Hogue.

“The workforce board puts us in direct communication with them (transitioning military members),” Hogue said. “Every month, we go to Fort Campbell and speak to classes of people who are transitioning out of the military.

“Several of our current officers came through Fort Campbell, and we’re hoping to get an internship program started.”

Hogue said the transitioning veterans are a good fit for careers in law enforcement.

“It’s about service, about giving your all to something greater than yourself,” he said. “These veterans already have that servant’s heart.”

Although the workforce board has already achieved the U.S. Department of Labor award, Sowards says there’s more work to be done, particularly in light of the growing workforce needs in the Bowling Green area.

“We’re trying to find ways to get employers more engaged and involved,” he said. “We need anybody and everybody who is able-bodied and can work, and we need companies to embrace these non-traditional populations.”