BART to give job-seeking veterans preference in hiring

Today, the BART Board of Directors voted to adopt a new hiring policy that gives preference to job-seeking military veterans. Starting January 1, 2013, external job candidates who show proof of active status of at least 181 days and receive a passing score in the first phase of the hiring process will receive a 5% increase to their scores.

“We adopted this policy to honor those men and women who their put their lives on the line to defend our freedom,” BART Board President John McPartland, who spearheaded this policy change, said. “Military veterans have a strong work ethic as well as the team building and problem solving skills that translates well to BART leadership and technical jobs.”

The new policy does not apply to those dishonorably discharged or staff currently employed at BART.

This is not the first action the BART Board has adopted to honor veterans. BART was the first major transportation agency in the nation to offer free transit tickets to military personnel who are on leave from fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan. In January 2010, BART launched its program to offer free $50 BART tickets to those on active duty who present BART with a valid leave order from their respective branch of the military authorizing them to be on leave from the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq. For more information on the tickets for active service personnel visit: http://bart.gov/docs/active_duty_ticket.pdf