CTA makes veteran hiring a priority
Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
In recognition of the Veterans Day holiday Nov 11, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) said that it continues to make military veteran hiring a strong priority across the agency, increasing the number of U.S. military veterans now working for the CTA to 358, as part of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CTA President Forrest Claypool-led initiatives to create hiring preferences to provide employment opportunities to veterans.
Since the first of the year, the CTA has hired 71 military veterans, bringing the total number of veterans working for the agency to 358, as part of the agency’s aggressive veteran hiring plan.
“We recognize the value and experience that U.S. military veterans bring to the CTA,” said Claypool. “We have found that many veterans, by virtue of their military service and the skills learned during their service, translate well and make them well-equipped to serve this agency and its customers.”
Claypool signed an executive order in 2012 that creates a veteran hiring preference, to provide opportunities to men and women who have served in our country’s armed forces. The order set a CTA goal to attract at least a 20 percent pool of veterans during the application process for positions, including drivers, mechanics, engineers, managers and other workers.
To encourage veteran hiring, the CTA considers equivalent experience to take into account military experience when considering applicants for jobs, such as servicing vehicles or equipment.
Since then, veterans have joined the CTA in a wide variety of positions, including bus operators, flagmen, mechanics and customer service assistants. The CTA recently hired a veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart for service in Iraq and also hired a veteran to assist in recruiting efforts. Twenty-eight currently serve in manager or coordinator positions.
As part of CTA’s strategy to recruit top talent, this year CTA officials attended various community events, including the Illinois Veteran’s Job Fair, Memorial Day Veteran’s Hiring and Resource Fair and the Hire Our Heroes Job Fair.
