Popular rideshare company Uber is actively hiring military veterans in communities with large military communities. It’s next stop? San Antonio, California.
Uber has long supported military veterans through its UberMILITARY program, which aims to help veterans transition into civilian life by providing flexible yet consistent employment. In September 2014, the company pledged to on-board 50,000 military veterans onto its platform. So far, Uber is making good on that promise. By February 2015, 10,000 military veterans made a combined $18 million in six months working for Uber.
Now the company is starting to recruit more drivers from San Antonio’s ample community of military veterans, active duty servicemen and their families. San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor and Uber’s Texas General Manager Chris Nakutis spoke at a Work on Demand event to promote the program.
“We are focusing on our veterans, military folks, in using this as an employment option for them as they transition out of the military,” Taylor said.
People decide to work for Uber because they enjoy choosing their own hours and being their own boss. Nakutis said that these reasons are very attractive to military veterans, especially those looking for work after leaving the service.
“They love the flexible work Uber provides, and, as you know, San Antonio has a very large military veteran community,” Nakutis said.
There are already 600 veterans signed up to be Uber drivers in San Antonio. Nakutis said that the company was raising the bar after meeting its initial recruitment goal.
“We set a goal in San Antonio for 2,000 driver partners and you can see today we hit that goal and we are upping it to 10,000 for 2016,” Nakutis said.