The Obama administration made construction careers for veterans a high-profile initiative, announced last year by First Lady Michele Obama, that asks industry firms to hire 100,000 vets in the next five years. But many firms have had long-term commitments to hiring and supporting veterans during deployments and with combat-related impacts, they say.
Since its founding in 2003, Helmets to Hardhats, a union-sponsored recruiting program, says it has placed 20,000 veterans in the industry. "Whether firms are looking to post apprenticeship opportunities or looking for their next project safety manager, we have an extensive database of resumes and profiles that grows every day," says Executive Director Darrell Roberts.