Copyright © 2019 Albuquerque Journal
The top brass at Metis Technology Solutions and nearly one-fourth of its total workforce are veterans, earning the Albuquerque company a HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion Award this year from the U.S. Department of Labor.
It also won a 2019 SHIFT award from Innovate+Educate in recognition of the company’s recruitment efforts and partnership with the State Veteran Hiring Initiative, plus a gold-level Family Friendly Business Award from Family Friendly New Mexico.
Metis received a gold-level HIRE Vets medallion last year. But it advanced to the platinum level this year because of its aggressive policies and programs not only to hire vets, but also to ease their transition into the civilian workforce and provide opportunities for career advancement.
“Our workforce is our most valuable asset and it is made stronger through diversity,” said Metis CEO Joy Colucci in a statement. “We are so grateful to the men and women who have served our country in the military and feel fortunate to benefit from the discipline, courage and skills they bring.”
Colucci is an earth and space scientist who founded Metis in 2010. The woman-owned firm employs about 100 people who manage NASA and Air Force support contracts for space missions, satellite operations and aeronautics-related work.
Colucci is the only Metis executive on the company’s six-member leadership team who is not a veteran. That, plus the high percentage of Metis employees who come from the armed forces, reflects the company’s deliberate outreach efforts to organizations that work to help veterans transition from the military into civilian careers.
The company proactively reaches out to organizations in New Mexico and other states to recruit veterans, said Human Resources Director Jennifer Paulik, an Army veteran who served tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. And once veterans are working in the company, Metis offers them opportunities for mentoring by senior veterans at the firm through a Veteran Leadership Program. That mentoring helps new recruits transition into the civilian workforce while assisting them with career advancement.
Apart from general tuition reimbursement benefits given to all employees, the company also offers an additional $2,000 for its veteran employees who pursue degrees and training to climb into leadership positions, Paulik said.
Colucci said the company benefits as much, if not more, from hiring veterans as the vets themselves.
“I feel they’ve given us a great deal more than we’ve given them,” Colucci said. “They’re extremely dedicated and talented, and they have an amazing work ethic.”
Company wins awards for veteran-friendly policies
