UC Riverside has been named an employer of the year for its policies and practices encouraging the hiring of veterans.

The university will be one of nine honored by the California Employer Advisory Council at a May 2 luncheon in Monterey.

The award recognizes “employers who consistently demonstrate positive policies towards U.S. veterans in hiring and promoting, as well as through employee retention, ongoing training and benefits,” according to the council’s website. The nonprofit partners with the California Employment Development Department on the annual award and workforce development.

UC Riverside has undertaken an extensive outreach program to increase the number of veterans in its hiring pool, said Paul Peña, a talent acquisition consultant in Human Resources.

Efforts include partnering with local veteran employment and Department of Rehabilitation representatives, attending job fairs geared toward veterans, hosting workshops and creating information sessions throughout the Inland area, bringing veterans and rehabilitation representatives to campus to meet with department heads with open positions, and providing tours and hosting a luncheon on campus for local veterans.

UC Riverside also created a database in which veterans are matched with open jobs based on their skills and experiences; when a match is found, veterans are encouraged to apply. Peña said more than 1,000 jobs were shared with veterans throughout Southern California last year.

The council previously honored UCR in 2017 for its hiring of people with disabilities. In December 2018, the university also received a certificate of appreciation from the Department of Rehabilitation, Inland Empire District, for its recruitment efforts in hiring people with disabilities.

The campus has undertaken many of the same efforts to hire veterans as it has people with disabilities, Peña said.