Amtrak continues to recruit military veterans

Amtrak is actively recruiting military veterans who are returning to civilian life, President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman said yesterday.

A veteran of the Vietnam war, Boardman said Amtrak is seeking to hire veterans for their leadership, strong work ethic and high-tech skills.

"Their ability to adapt to a dynamic work environment, dedication and focus to safety and experience gained while on military duty is valued by Amtrak and directly contributes to meeting our company goals," he said in a prepared statement, which was issued yesterday after Boardman toured the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

Amtrak's veterans hiring initiative calls for military vets to make up 25 percent of all new hires by 2015. To meet its goal, the railroad plans to participate in 100 military hiring events and continue partnering with recruiting groups that focus on veteran hiring, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Hiring Our Heroes, the Wounded Warrior Project, RecruitMilitary and Army PaYS.

Since the initiative was launched last year, more than 19 percent of all new Amtrak hires have been veterans.

Amtrak employs a team of "dedicated recruiting professionals" to work with returning veterans to understand their military skills, experience and training to find career opportunities within the railroad that best align with their capabilities, Amtrak officials said.