Frequently Asked Questions
Learn the Basics Here
- What is Helmets to Hardhats?
- How Does Helmets to Hardhats Work?
- When Did You Start the Program?
- How Are You Funded?
- Are There Any Eligibility Standards to Apply?
- Do You Offer More Than Just Construction Work?
- What is a Union? Are You a Union-only Program?
- What are the Benefits of Joining a Union?
- How Many People Have Found Jobs Through Your Program?
- Are You a Training Program?
- What is an Apprenticeship?
- How Much Will I Get Paid?
- When do my Benefits Start?
- How Long Does it Take for me to Get a Job After Applying?
- How do you Ensure That Quality Employer Careers are Listed?
- What is Direct Entry?
- What is a PLA (National Level)?
- Do You Get a Majority of Enlisted Service People or Officers?
- How do Companies Contact You?
- Do You Place People in Jobs Based on Their Military Experience?
- How do I Request a Copy of my DD214?
- Why do I Need an Email Address?
- What is Helmets to Hardhats?
Helmets to Hardhats is a national program that connects National Guard, Reserve and transitioning active-duty military members with quality career training and employment opportunities within the construction industry. The program is administered by the Center for Military Recruitment, Assessment, and Veterans Employment and headquartered in Washington, D.C. Direction for management of the center comes from a board of trustees comprised of equal numbers of employer and labor trustees.
- How Does Helmets to Hardhats Work?
The Helmets to Hardhats program connects former military personnel with career opportunities from the nationwide building and construction trades. Candidates can access information about careers and apprenticeships via the Internet from anywhere in the world. The Helmets to Hardhats profile they complete helps communicate to hiring managers the transferable skills they acquired during their military service.
- When Did You Start the Program?
The program was created in 2002 and established in 2003.
- How Are You Funded?
The Center for Military Recruitment, Assessment and Veterans Employment administers Helmets to Hardhats. It was established as a nonprofit Section 501(c)(6) organization with a funding structure set out under Section 302(c)(9) of the Taft-Hartley Act for purposes provided for under Section 6(b) of the Labor-Management Cooperation Act.
- Are There Any Eligibility Standards to Apply?
Eligibility varies based on the standards set by each individual career provider. In most cases, you must be at least 18 years of age, have an honorable discharge, have a high school diploma or equivalent, pass a drug test, conduct an interview and be physically fit to perform work. Does it matter how old the candidate is to apply? No, there are no age restrictions for applicants.
- Do You Offer More Than Just Construction Work?
Yes, we have a variety of careers listed on website. Many employers list other types of careers for their construction company such as administrative, engineering and management positions.
- What is a Union? Are You a Union-only Program?
A union is an organization of workers joined together for a common purpose, for mutual aid and protection, to engage in concerted activity and collective bargaining, to elevate their conditions of life and labor; an organization by which ordinary people do extraordinary things.
- What are the Benefits of Joining a Union?
Once you become a member in a building and construction trade and you work hard, you will be entitled to a future with high pay, great medical insurance and one of the best pension plans in the nation. The BCTD programs are high quality, well resourced, training centers and programs that are recognized by Regional Education Certifying Councils and Boards. This educational certification is what qualifies the BCTD program for the use of the Montgomery G.I. Bill or various state, National Guard or Reserve educational funding programs. The G.I. Bill and some state programs normally pay qualified apprentices a monthly stipend in addition to their earned wages. Rates will vary depending on type of service and length of training and are published at http://www.gibill.va.gov.
- How Many People Have Found Jobs Through Your Program?
Because we refer candidates to career providers and refer career providers to candidates - without doing any of the actual hiring - it is impossible to know of everyone that has been hired. We do hear from many people who come back to us with their success stories.
- Are You a Training Program?
We help to make the connection between the career providers and the candidates that apply for their careers. Some of the careers listed on our website are apprenticeship opportunities.
- What is an Apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a mixture of classroom instruction and on-the-job training. Similar to a typical college, you would spend around four years receiving instruction and then graduate to become a Journeyman. Often times, you can get credit from your military experience to enter at an advanced level. You also get paid for your work while on the job.
- How Much Will I Get Paid?
We have a wide variety of career opportunities that are listed on our website therefore we cannot say how much you will get paid. Your career provider determines your pay.
- When do my Benefits Start?
Once you have been accepted into a career, you will receive more information about your benefits. Helmets to Hardhats works diligently to list only careers that provide the best pay and benefits.
- How Long Does it Take for me to Get a Job After Applying?
The pace of the hiring process is determined by the job provider. We do suggest however that you follow-up with the job provider after applying for best chances of getting chosen.
- How do you Ensure That Quality Employer Careers are Listed?
1). Employers that are members of the Helmets-to-Hardhats-approved contracting associations will register and have immediate access to advertise opportunities online. 2). Employers that are not members will register and have to maintain certain criteria before they can advertise trade opportunities. These criteria are include access to a quality and Federally recognized registered apprentice program, a permanent system to ensure employment and training opportunities, formal curriculum and instructor training programs, related training and an on the job training program, an affirmative action program, and a positive record of caring for welfare of workers as evidenced by health, insurance, and workman's compensation benefits. 3). Employers who want to advertise non-trade opportunities must ensure that they are quality employers providing good pay, benefits and matching the high standards of the other member employers. If, at any time, Helmets to Hardhats is notified that an employer is not advertising acceptable opportunities, the employer will be removed from the system. 4). Third party vendors cannot use the Helmets to Hardhats website to advertise opportunities.
- What is Direct Entry?
The implementation of a statewide direct entry program gives former and active military personnel the opportunity to quickly start quality construction careers soon after they applyfor them through Helmets to Hardhats. Once the state proclamation is signed, it allows all JATCs and locals (at their discretion) to immediately accept these men and women into their apprenticeship programs and provide them with credit for their military training and experience. Direct entry language can also be implemented on an individual local level.
- What is a PLA (National Level)?
A PLA (Project Labor Agreement) is a negotiating contract between the Building Trades and the Developer. It ensures that there will be no strikes and that the work will be done on or under budget and on time. The PLA also explains where the workers will come from. For all future nationwide PLAs with the BCTD, they will state that 10% of the apprentices will come from Helmets to Hardhats.
- Do You Get a Majority of Enlisted Service People or Officers?
The program is open to all service members regardless of rank, but because most of the positions on our website are apprenticeship opportunities, more enlisted personnel seem attracted to them.
- How do Companies Contact You?
Interested personnel are encouraged to register at http://recruiter.helmetstohardhats.org/. After completing the registration, you will be contacted by a Helmets to Hardhats representative concerning your request.
- Do You Place People in Jobs Based on Their Military Experience?
Helmets to Hardhats is not a placement company. We refer candidates to promising career providers and refer career providers to qualified candidates. To apply for work or membership, candidates complete a comprehensive profile that helps the building trades hiring managers determine what transferable skills they acquired during their military service. Prior to acceptance, candidates take an aptitude test to assess their skill level.
- How do I Request a Copy of my DD214?
You can now request your DD214 or other military documents through the National Archives website. Once you have completed the request you are still required to print and sign the form and mail or fax it in within 20 days or the request. The Cost is FREE. They only will mail copies to you, they still are unable to send you electronic copies (but they are working on it).
- Why do I Need an Email Address?
When you use the Helmets to Hardhats website to search for a career in the building and construction industry, we collect your email address for two reasons. First, your email address will be used as your username when logging on to the Helmets to Hardhats site. We will also send you informative emails to help coach you through the career search process. We will not share your email address with third parties. If you do not have an email address you can get one for free at a number of places. A couple of the most popular include Yahoo Mail, MSN Hotmail and GMail.
