Articles

• Wanted: Safety Professionals from the Military

  Mr. Hering sees the military draw down from Iraq as a national opportunity to give military veterans a career in the building and constructions trades generally and safety specifically.

• Keep the Employment Pipelines Open

  Hire Vets First is a national outreach program of the Department of Labor. The program works to connect veterans with employers through One Stop Career Centers.

• Navy Gives New Dads 10 Days Paid Leave

  In an effort to build loyalty and make the Navy more family- friendly, the service is now granting paid paternity leave to new fathers - with some exceptions.

• University Provides Care for Wounded Warriors

  Wounded servicemembers are finding an unlikely resource for care at Arkansas State University in a new program officials there hope will catch on at other college campuses.

• Texas Veteran Job Placement Doubles in ’08

  More than 50 military veterans in the state of Texas secured lucrative construction industry careers in 2008 thanks to the Helmets to Hardhats program.

• Legion Launches New GI Bill Web Site

  The American Legion has launched an informative new Web site to help veterans and their families understand the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which takes effect Aug. 1, 2009, and how it compares with other federal education benefits for veterans.

• Programs Strive to Strengthen Military Marriages

  Servicemembers and their spouses are flocking to a broad array of programs to help them strengthen their family relationships as the services step up efforts to curb divorce rates.

• Dunwoody Becomes First Female Four-Star General

  For the first time in U.S. history, a female military officer today pinned on the rank of four-star general. Army Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody was promoted just hours before taking the helm of the Army Materiel Command, a Fortune 100-sized organization…

• Active Employers are the Goal of the ESGR

  The construction industry lends itself to Guard and Reserve service due to the nature of the work. Limited projects with clear beginnings and endings, and flexible hiring halls, make it easier to coordinate your military and civilian work commitments.

• UA Organizer Bryan Smith

  Bryan Smith was the first Helmets to Hardhats candidate placed in an apprenticeship in America. He completed dangerous missions in Africa and the Middle East with the Marine Corps for eight years. He became an organizer as an apprentice and was quickly hired to do the job full time...

• Web Directories Link Vets With Services

  A new generation of Web-based directories from the Department of Defense and private non-profit organizations are linking wounded warriors with services. The Bob Woodruf Foundation funds local organizations who make a difference on a national level.

• Coast Guard Petty Officer Embraces Dangerous Work

  Jesse Romahn doesn’t shy away from dangerous work. At a job site, he straps on 40 pounds of tools and begins his 12-15 hour day high above the ground in a canopy of iron beams and girders.

• President-Elect Obama Announces New Security Team

  On December 1, 2008, at the Hilton Chicago, President-Elect Barack Obama announced the members of his national security team.

• Todd Mitchell Is New Washington State Liaison

  Governor Christine Gregoire and the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs have teamed up with the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO to provide an H2H Liaison position for the Helmets to Hardhats program.

• First Gathering of Native Veterans at Navajo Nation

  During the last weekend of September, veterans from three tribes assembled at the Navajo Fairgrounds at Window Rock, Arizona, for the “First Annual Gathering of Native American Veterans on Navajo Nation.” Veterans heard speakers, attended ceremonies…

• New Prosthesis Could Help Keep Troops in the Fight

  A new prosthesis under development will give servicemember amputees more flexibility and help them better perform their military jobs if they choose to stay on active duty.

• Postal Service Sets Holiday Mailing Guidelines

  As the holidays approach and military families start thinking about what they’re going to send loved ones serving overseas, there are a few dates to keep in mind.

• Enhanced VA Mortgage Options Available

  Veterans with conventional home loans now have new options for refinancing to a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) guaranteed home loan. These new options are available as a result of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act.

• Helmets to Hardhats Opens Doors into New Trades for Veterans

  A lack of time on a construction site typically hurts when trying to get a job with the Iron Workers Local Union No. 3 in the Strip District. That is, unless, the resume includes military service under the "work experience" heading.

• First Helmets to Hardhats Candidate Receives Award

  On October 30th, Steve Fox of the Laborers’ Local 300 received an award to recognize his discipline, and professionalism. Mr. Fox, who became a journeyman in 2004, was the first candidate placed nationally from the Helmets to Hardhats program.

• Further Degrees Give Trade Workers A Longer Career

  A bachelor’s degree is valued in our society. Educational credentials open up opportunities in tight job markets and increase income and benefits over a lifetime of work. What if your lifetime of work started with an apprenticeship in the trades?

• New Army Guard Division Focuses on Soldiers' Well-Being

  Soldiers and their families are the focus of a new division at the Army National Guard Readiness Center here. In May, the center’s Soldier/Family Support Service Division began providing services that include suicide prevention…

• Wounded Warrior Resource Center Opens

  The Department of Defense announced on September 8th that the Military OneSource service has established a Wounded Warrior Resource Center telephone number and e-mail address for service members and their families.

• Wounded Warrior: Part of A Team Again

  For Specialist Jay Fox, a wounded warrior, some days are worse than others. Back and knee injuries he received while in military training cause him constant pain. Mr. Fox manages to cope with his situation by controlling his mind to shut off the suffering…

• UA Creates Accelerated Welding Programs

  Talk to anyone in the trades these days and they'll tell you that there is a shortage of skilled craftspeople. Where are these intelligent, dedicated workers who are willing to be trained and want to earn competitive wages and benefits? In the military.

• Outward Bound Hosts OEF/OIF Vets

  Outward Bound, a non-profit outdoor education program, is offering free outdoor adventures to OEF/OIF veterans, regardless of your military status. You're able to attend as long as you deployed in support of OEF/OIF combat operations while in the military.

• "America Supports You" Gets 'Newman's Own' Grant

  A home-front group of the Defense Department’s America Supports You program has received a $2,000 grant from the Newman’s Own Foundation.

• "Early Voting" Changes the Norm

  If television ratings can predict voter turnout, you can bet on big numbers for Election Day, Tuesday, November 4th. According to Nielsen Media Research, thirty-eight million people watched the presidential candidates accept their party's nominations.

• VA Increasing Benefits for Veterans

  The Department of Veterans Affairs, on September 22nd announced it will substantially increase disability benefits for veterans with mild traumatic brain injuries, USA Today reports.

• USMC Sergeant Meets Challenges

  Sgt. Joseph Mallory, a musician in the USMC, completed two years of his apprenticeship to become a journeyman pipe fitter. Then his plans changed. With the shock of 9/11 still reverberating across the country, Sgt. Mallory's division was readying for an Iraq deployment but Sgt. Mallory’s active duty time as a tuba player with the U.S. Marine Corps was up.

• UA: Training for the 21st Century

  Demand for qualified pipe layers, plumbers, pipe fitters, and steam fitters is on the rise. Even in times of economic difficulty, when new construction wanes, upkeep and repair of existing facilities requires trained and certified workers.

• Helmets to Hardhats Hailed at Electrical Training Center Opening

  New Hampshire's new Joint Apprenticeship Training Council electrical training center, which officially opened last month in Concord, is being hailed by its founders as representing "the future of the electrical industry" in the state.

• Forming a Safety and Health Partnership

  The goals of a new partnership among the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Messer Construction Co. are to reduce injuries and other worksite hazards, develop stronger training programs, and enhance safety and health during construction of the $89 million Xavier University Hoff Academic Quad in Cincinnati.

• The Helmets to Hardhats Website

  The keystone to any project, as in masonry, is the one upon which all else rests. For Helmets to Hardhats, the keystone is the website www.helmetstohardhats.org that gives job providers a direct link to well-qualified, veteran candidates.

• Geneva Rock and H2H Make Hiring Veterans A Snap

  Recently, in Utah, a subcommittee of State Senators and Representatives convened to hear testimony on how to meet the needs of a shrinking workforce. Krist McFarland, Human Resources Director for Geneva Rock, was there and had plenty to say.

• Afflicted Soldier Exemplifies 'America's Heroes at Work'

  After being medically retired from the Army last year as a result of mental wounds he suffered in Iraq, Michael Bradley faced a daunting challenge that would later prove pivotal in his recovery: holding down a job in the civilian world.

• VA Helps Vets Reengage with Life

  From the laboratory to open air, making medical and mental miracles are the focus of the July edition of “The American Veteran,” the monthly half-hour news magazine from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

• A Tour of Training Facilities Paves the Way

  Rob Mason, International Field Representative for the Plasterers’ & Cement Masons’ International, spent the summer in Salt Lake City, Utah spreading the word about Helmets to Hardhats. Whenever he worked booths at job fairs or gave promotional speeches at presentations, he had a difficult time convincing his audience that training for the building and construction trades is important.

• IMI Masonry Expos

  Every day, IMI reaches out to a wide variety of audiences – architects, engineers, construction managers, owners and other decision makers – to spread the word about the advantages of quality Union masonry.

• Ten Great Job Fair Tips

  If you have been looking for a career in the civilian labor force, you have probably attended a Job Fair. These fairs work to put veterans, and employers eager to hire veterans, together in one room. You will often find a booth for Helmets to Hardhats at these events staffed by our Regional Directors.

• Grandma Built That

  "Do you want to turn it on?" You wouldn't think that a single question could change a person's life, but for Jane Templin, this was the question and the moment that did. The year was 1975 and Ms. Templin and her best friend's husband were recruited to help set up a school festival.

• Apprentices Make the Grade

  Go to college or get a good job? For military service men and women this is the choice they face as they transition from active duty to civilian life. Many locals of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are making sure you can have both.

• Officials Release Facts About New GI Bill

  Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs officials are working out the details of a new education benefit recently approved by Congress that goes into effect August 1, 2009.

• War Zone to Construction Zone

  When he leaves the military, 25-year-old Gregory Gaul looks forward to spending more time with his daughter. She is two years old, and so far he has spent half of her life at war. In Afghanistan, Gaul helped build a road that cut through Taliban strongholds. He often worked 17-hour shifts operating a scraper, followed by several hours of guard duty to protect equipment while soldiers slept.

• Engineering and Project Management

  From the site survey to the final approval, there is a lot that goes into coordinating a building project. Directing the efforts are construction managers, project superintendents, and project managers -- skilled individuals who lead the construction crews.

• Mother of a Fallen Soldier

  Lori Fraher is a Gold Star mom, her son, Lance Corporal Ray Holzhauer, was killed in Iraq on March 15, 2007. At his funeral, his mother, Lori Fraher, was approached by Illinois Lt. Governor Pat Quinn to see if he could help the family in any way.

• Helmets to Hardhats Candidate Lands a Job at Disney

  "Scott Bennett called me unsure of what he wanted to do," explained Phil Ganley, regional representative for the Helmets to Hardhats program. "Scott had just gotten out of the military, didn't have many civilian skills, and was looking for something in Florida. He wanted a solid career where he could take care of a family."

• Put Your Military Skills to Work with Carpentry

  According to Dudley Light, the National Director for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters with the Helmets to Hardhats Program, opportunities in the carpentry trade should not be overlooked by candidates coming out of the military due to the wide variety of job offerings and the potential for advancement.

• Know Your Employment and Reemployment Rights

  Since the early days of World War II, Congress has passed laws that afforded protection against employment discrimination for those who serve in the United States Military, whether they serve as career personnel or reservists, and whether they enlist or are drafted.

• H2H Praised at Annual BCTD Conference

  This year's Building Trades National Legislative Conference marked the 100th anniversary of the Building & Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO. Legislative conferences such as these seek to promote fair wages and good standard of living for employees in labor trades, ensuring that workers have a voice when it comes to legislation in Congress.

• Union Jobs Mean Better Benefits

  "The money couldn’t get any better," said Sean Keeley, who recently got out of the Navy as a boilermaker. Keeley, now employed as a machinery repairman, was surprised to get such a great career opportunity right out of the service. He credits his industry success to good training and the work ethic that he developed in the Navy.

• New Job Opportunities in Renewable Energy

  As fossil fuel prices continue to soar, individuals, corporations, and municipalities are looking for ways to save on their energy bills thus creating a robust "Green industry." Clean Edge, which has been tracking the growth of clean-energy markets since 2000, reports a 40 percent increase in revenue growth for solar photovoltaics (PV), wind, biofuels, and fuel cells in 2007 in the U.S., up from $55 billion in 2006 to $77.3 billion in 2007.

• Ironworkers Build Our Nation's Superstructures

  On August 1, 2007, the country watched in horror as an eight-lane steel truss arch bridge that carried Interstate 35W across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota collapsed. The bridge was Minnesota's fifth–busiest, carrying 140,000 vehicles daily.

• Could a Blue-Collar Resume Get You a Better Job?

  A growing number of blue-collar workers are using resumes to sell themselves, and it's not hard to figure out why. A resume is a marketing piece, and all job seekers can use some help marketing themselves regardless of industry.

• Unions Promise Higher Worker Standards

  This year's Building Trades National Legislative Conference marked the 100th anniversary of the Building & Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO.

• Managing a Culturally Diverse Staff

  According to the US Census Bureau, 100 million Americans, or one in every three, consider themselves part of a minority group. This means that workplaces are becoming more culturally diverse, which often requires managers and others to continually rethink the ways they work with people.

• Military Veteran Offer Recruiters a Reliable Talent Pipeline

  Recruiters often deal with times when there are no qualified candidates to be found, and other times there are more candidates then they can handle. It is the ‘feast or famine’ nature of the recruiting business that has many organizations looking for reliable pipelines of talent. There are more than a quarter million transitioning military veterans that can provide a steady pipeline of talent to recruiters.

• Navy Seabees: An Employer's Untapped Resource

  It was June 6th, 1944, and U.S. Naval Forces were stealthily approaching the shore of Normandy. As the rest of the U.S. military forces waited silently to stage their attack on German forces, the Navy Seabees were ashore to destroy the steel and concrete barriers that the Germans had built in the water and on the beaches to forestall any amphibious landing.

• Military Experience Equals Determination, Adaptability, and Competency

  During her service in the U.S. Navy, Amanda Green was stationed on an aircraft carrier. Five miles off the coast of India, the aircraft carrier was hit by a barge and Green's team was set into action. Charged with sealing up 18 holes in the vast ship's superstructure, Green worked with 20 shipmates around the clock to repair the damage quickly and effectively.

• How to Write Effective Online Job Postings

  The Internet was supposed to simplify recruiting: No rushing to meet newspaper deadlines, no waiting for resumes to trickle in by snail mail. So what happened?

• Received a Call from a Vet Lately?

  “People with good welding experience are hard to come by,” explained Jeff Greenstreet who is a boilermaker and superintendent with O’Connell Corporation. “Military veterans tend to have a great work ethic, much more so than those coming off the street. I would much rather hire someone with a good military background because I trust they will be good workers.”

• Resume Dilemma: No Degree

  Are your fellow job seekers leaving you in the dust, nabbing the great jobs because they have educational credentials that you lack? Follow these tips to put your best foot forward on your resume and compete with others who have more impressive educational backgrounds.

• Think of Your Big Interview as a Simple Conversation

  Are your fellow job seekers leaving you in the dust, nabbing the great jobs because they have educational credentials that you lack? Follow these tips to put your best foot forward on your resume and compete with others who have more impressive educational backgrounds.

• How to Catch Common Grammatical Errors in Your Resume

  Business documents rife with typos can undermine your professional reputation, not to mention that of your company. That's why admins should have a good working knowledge of grammar, spelling and punctuation as well as the ability to catch mistakes before someone else does.

• Six Interview Mistakes

  It's tough to avoid typical interview traps if you're unsure what they are. Here are a half dozen to watch out for.

• Metal Works

  "I love working with my hands," Michael Dyer explained. "I love after a good days work I can look up and say I just did that and it's going to last a long time." Dyer is a 3rd year welding apprentice employed through the United Association of Journeyman Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting industry (UA).

• Military Experience Makes a Difference

  After spending five years working in an office following four years of service as a civil engineer with the United States Air Force, Philip Mondano decided he didn’t want to be an office worker anymore.

• Ship Builders Honor a Memory by Equipping our Military

  The crew of a Navy ship is focused on the mission once they put to sea. In the middle of their busy lives underway, they probably don’t consider the hard and meticulous work that went into the construction of the vessel that is now both home and office.

• Electrical Lineworkers Wanted

  According to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the imminent retirement of the baby boom generation and the decreased focus on training for electrical workers due to deregulation of utility companies is increasing the need for new electrical workers, especially for electrical lineworkers.

• Helmets to Hardhats Message

  As we witness one year come to an end and the new year begin I give you all my pledge to continue to make Helmets to Hardhats a program of success and the standard by which all other veterans employment assistance programs are judged.

• 25th Anniversary Parade for Vietnam Veterans Memorial

  The Helmets to Hardhats program played an active role in a Nov. 11 parade to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

• Arizona Vet Sees Bright Future

  Specialist Jacob Cooper was searching for answers as to what he was going to do with his life after the service

• AZ Governor Recognizes and Supports H2H

  Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano signed a proclamation of support to help launch that state's participation in Helmets to Hardhats.

• Thirteen Networking Mistakes

  You wouldn't wear jeans to a job interview, but do you pay as much attention to job-hunting etiquette when networking? If you approach potential contacts in an offhand way, you may put them off entirely. Learn what the most common networking mistakes are so you don't have to make them.

• Six Steps for Successful Networking on H2H

  Most job seekers already know the importance of networking. Whatever you're trying to do, there are some simple steps you can take to get the most out of networking.

• Using Wounded Warrior Functions in H2H

  Perhaps one of the most important missions of Helmets to Hardhats is support of American Wounded Warriors. Partnered with America’s construction trades, Helmets to Hardhats is committed to helping disabled veterans find meaningful careers in the building and construction trades.

• Using the Helmets to Hardhats Discussion Board

  We are all experts at something, but few are experts at everything. That’s what makes discussion boards such a valuable tool.

• Using Helmets to Hardhats New Veteran Career Network

  Finding a job through career networking is one of the more effective tactics one can use

• Career Networking From Helmets To Hardhats

  Exciting New Features on Helmets to Hardhats

• Helping Los Angeles County Schools

  Los Angeles Unified School District "We Build" Program

• Let’s Not Forget the IUOE and IUEC

  We believe that these men and women who were and in some cases still serving our county, need career opportunities waiting for them when they come home

• Ironworker Local Unions Across The Nation Like H2H Too!

  I have found that the kids who have served in the military are ready to work and eager to do the job.

• Insulators Local 6 Boston Says Yes to Helmets To Hardhats

  We will always be ready to welcome any candidate from Helmets to Hardhats into our application process.

• A Letter of Endorsement for Helmets To Hardhats

  I want to convey how appreciative I am of the presentations done by Dan Lozano for Helmets to Hardhats at TAP seminars at Naval Base Ventura, CA.

• Carpenters JATC Program in Las Vegas Takes In Two More Vets

  Through the assistance of Helmets to Hardhats, two former Navy Seabee veterans officially joined the United Brotherhood of Carpenter's Joint Apprenticeship Training Program in Las Vegas, NV.

• Helmets to Hardhats Success Story - Tiffany Ince

  I recently transitioned from the Army after serving in Iraq for eleven months. My mother and I came over from Guyana so I joined the military in order to obtain money for college and start the real American life.

• Protecting Yourself from Internet Scams

  Before the advent of the Internet, your name, address, phone number and other personal information did not go beyond your social circle. However, the Internet changed that reality — forever.

• Out of Uniform: Resume Tips for Making the Transition

  You're leaving the service and face the daunting task of developing your resume. Follow these tips to draft a high-impact resume that shows how your military experience is transferable to a civilian job.

• Roofers Highlight Apprenticeship Program

  Apprenticeship programs sponsored jointly by labor and management on the local union level supply employers with the highly skilled workers who apply the quality roofing and waterproofing systems that keep America's buildings dry.

• The Roofers And Waterproofers Union

  There is definitely plenty of work to be done and money to be made in the roofing industry. If you’re good with your hands, enjoy working outdoors and the challenges of our trade, then the roofing industry just might be what you're looking for.

• A Helmets to Hardhats Success Story

  Gregory Devlin served his country as a Spanish linguist in the U.S. Marine Corps. After recently transitioning out of the military, Gregory signed up for the "Helmets to Hardhats" program.

• Building Trades Unions Embrace Military Veterans

  The construction sites of Southern California are a world away from the dangerous streets of Iraq. But, an increasing number of veterans are finding a home in the Building Trades craft unions.

• New Law Waives Commercial Drivers Test for Veterans

  Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt signed legislation making it easier for veterans to obtain commercial driver’s licenses, Blunt’s office said today.

• Tradeswomen United

  Every spring since 2002, hundreds of women gather together to network, exchange strategies for success, and demonstrate their support for women in construction at the Women Building California Conference, sponsored by the State Building & Construction Trades Council of California.

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