There is also another component to hiring veterans into an
apprenticeship program that benefits employers.
“Veterans who are going through registered apprenticeship
can use their GI bill to supplement their income,” said Porter.
“Registered apprenticeships don’t charge tuition, but veterans
can have that as a supplement, provided they are working a certain
number of hours to be able to access that benefit. That really
increases retention, encouraging people to stick with it.”
Pile drivers
Porter says that only organizations with a signatory commitment
to one of the program’s affiliated trade organizations are able to
participate in the Helmets to Hardhats program. One of those
certified training and apprenticeship programs is the United
Brotherhood of Carpenters.
“That’s where pile drivers as a subspecialty or a craft within the
trade fall within the unionized construction industry,” said Porter.
“Employers need to be affiliated with one of our construction
trades because that is our funding mechanism.”
For qualifying organizations, the process is simple: visit helmetstohardhats.
org and register as an employer.
Once registered, a regional manager from the Helmets to
Hardhats program verifies with a local union affiliate that the
employer is a signatory contractor. Once approved, employers can
put up job listings on the website to recruit that way, or they can
choose to be on a list of employers that Helmets to Hardhats will
put candidates in contact with when service members reach out
about being interested in a particular trade.
There is no cost for employers to participate in the program.
“Everyone needs good people,” said Porter. “We serve as a
bridge between our industry affiliates and service members who
are looking to get into the trades.”
“The message is
overwhelmingly...go to
college when you’re done
with the military. The fact
is that apprenticeship in
building and construction
trades is more of a
legitimate career path
than people know.”
– David Porter
BUSINESS
96 | ISSUE 6 2020 www.piledrivers.org