Veterans in St. Louis will now get hiring priority for city jobs. St. Louis Public Radio reported that Mayor Francis Slay recently signed the employment initiative into law in an effort to eradicate veteran joblessness.
The priority will come in the form of five extra points on the city's civil service exam for former servicemembers. The source noted that disabled veterans will get an extra five points on top of that, for an additional 10 points. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, voters approved the measure back in November. It was strongly supported and advocated for by Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, a veteran himself who wanted to ease the return to civilian life for local soldiers.
"Having served on active duty and returning home, I have first-hand experience of how difficult it can be when a soldier comes from active duty, matriculating back into the work-force in their hometown," he told St. Louis Public Radio.
The legislature, dubbed the Veterans Preference Bill, aims to serve veterans in the same way they serve the country, by protecting and supporting them. Some of the positions that will be more accessible to honorably discharged members of the military who successfully pass the exam include working in the parks and recreation department, becoming firefighters or joining the police force.
St. Louis Public Radio reported that the mayor hopes this initiative will not stop with local government. He told the source that he wants to encourage private employers throughout the city to implement similar hiring standards. Not only will they be helping the men and women who serve the U.S., he explained, but they will be bringing on staff members with important skills learned in the armed forces, like dedication, integrity and leadership.