For the second year in a row, Boeing has been named a top company for veterans on the annual DiversityInc rankings list.

This year, the company took the No. 2 spot, climbing from a seventh-place ranking in 2016.

“We are proud of our high ranking on DiversityInc’s list of companies that support veterans," said Michael Ford, vice president of Global Talent, Diversity & Inclusion at Boeing. “It takes the best and brightest talent to achieve creative, innovative solutions and ideas. Veterans are an essential part of our inclusive workplace that will drive Boeing’s future success.”

In describing the veterans support rankings, a message on the DiversityInc website reads, “These companies understand the valuable skills and diversity veterans bring and are an important source of talent and leadership.”

DiversityInc is a publication that focuses on diversity and inclusion. Companies receiving high marks are among the best at hiring and promoting veterans, according to the publication. Criteria for the list include:

• Percentage of workforce, new hires and managers who are veterans
• Recruitment efforts aimed at veterans
• Hiring practices, including accommodations for spouses of veterans
• Percentage of philanthropic endeavors aimed at veterans
• Percentage of procurement spent with veterans with disabilities

Boeing earned high marks in this year’s ranking process for establishing veteran programs that offer personal and professional support and developing innovative skill-transition opportunities that ease the burden of the military-to-civilian transition process. That includes offering skill development and training for workforce transition, supporting recovery and rehabilitation programs that focus on post-traumatic stress, psychological and physical injuries and suicide, and employee volunteerism in veteran-specific communities.

“Our ranking is a testament to all of the great work we are doing here at Boeing on behalf of our nation’s vets,” said Flo Groberg, Boeing’s director of Veterans Outreach. “Through programs that address issues facing our veterans and their families, we are showing the world that we are a company that cares. And while the No. 2 spot is a great place to be, it’s not No. 1. We can and will continue to better our support for veterans.”

By Jason Capeheart