...open-shop contractor can’t utilize it," says Hedman. Any contractor that has an apprenticeship program that meets certain criteria can post its openings on the H2H Website.

Kirk M. Pickerel, president and CEO of the nonunion Associated Builders and Contractors, says several of his member companies have fairly aggressive programs to recruit veterans as they separate from the armed services. "We have been in touch with these companies and are now planning our own national initiative," he says. The National Center for Construction Education and Research, with strong ties to the open shop, offers extensive training programs and has recruiting relationships with some sectors of the military.

But building trades unions are pouring significant time and effort into veterans and the carpenters’ union has dedicated a full-time staffer, Dudley Light, to H2H. He says he has made more than 500 contacts with individuals through H2H over the past six months and has placed about 40 of them in the union’s apprentice programs.

Once Light receives a candidate’s information and determines the veteran has a strong interest in the carpenters’ program, he contacts that person, usually by e-mail, giving introductory information and requesting they contact him if they are interested in moving forward. Light estimates he hears back from about 10% of the candidates he contacts.

One of the biggest advantages of H2H is the ability to place an apprentice anywhere in the country. "If [that person] was working for a single employer they would not be able to do that," Light adds.

Ivan Urenamarte is an example. He served in the Marines for six years. His first job as a civilian was as a wind turbine technician. But as the young veteran thought about the future, he realized he wanted a career where he could spend the next 20 years. He also wanted to live in New York. Urenamarte registered with H2H and eventually joined the millwrights apprenticeship program at Local 740

The carpenters make an immediate investment in former service members, notes Light. The union works with the Dept. of Labor to provide direct entry into an apprenticeship program without having to be wait-listed.

In El Paso, Texas Local 583 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has a strong relationship with local and nearby military bases, including the Army’s Fort Bliss and Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, for recruiting workers. The local utilizes the H2H Website but doesn’t distinguish how it recruits apprentice candidates, says Johnny Kilgore, the local’s training director.

"We pushed it [H2H] hard," claims Bill Duke, the national apprenticeship coordinator for the laborers’ union. Duke helps spread the word at the union’s regional and national meetings. "We’re always looking for people," Duke says.

Towns with military bases are natural recruiting grounds for H2H. Many service members stationed at Alaska’s Elmendorf Air Force Base end up staying because they like Alaska and realize the potential to earn a decent living, says Leslie Lauinger, the training coordinator for the Alaska Laborers Training Trust Fund.

The wide array of programs that help veterans find jobs–particularly the many men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan–couldn’t be more timely.

CHALLENGES Caulfield understands veterans’ transition. (Photo courtesy of Helmets to Hardhats)

The public often doesn’t realize the difficulty returning service men and women have finding jobs, especially if they enlisted right after high school, says H2H’s Caulfield. Only 8% of men and women enter the military married, but about 68% of those who are leaving after a single tour of duty are married and wondering how they are going to support their family. They have been isolated during their military career from the typical networks used to find civilian jobs, Caulfield says. Scanning classified ads isn’t the way to find a career, he says. Frequently, veterans find jobs no better than ones they would have found prior to serving in the military, he says.

Trade apprenticeships require much of the savvy and persistence needed to advance in the military. Plus, there is a brotherhood in union construction that resembles military comraderie. "It is a perfect fit," insists Caulfield.

"It is now popular again to be a veteran," says Andris J. Silins, general secretary treasurer of the carpenters’ union. When Silins left the Marine Corps in 1968 he went to college, aided by generous public funds. He remembers living "pretty well" on the $341 monthly stipend that encouraged him to go to school. "Veterans’ programs...