Career Seeker
The first step is online registration. Click on the “Get Started” button at the top right of the page to begin. Once a career seeker is registered, they will have access to all career listings posted by H2H affiliated apprenticeships and employers. Registration will also start the conversation between the career seeker and our staff members. Our staff members are broken up into regions all over the country so their locational expertise can be utilized by those who need it most! Once registered, a staff member in the career seeker’s region takes an active role in connecting the career seeker to outstanding career and training opportunities. Having an informed advocate on your side will make all the difference as you navigate this exciting new chapter of a rewarding career in the construction trades. If you have questions, you can call (866) 741-6210.
Training Center & Employer
All job and apprenticeship postings come from our construction trade affiliates. All employers are vetted to ensure that they are in good standing with their union contract agreement. H2H frequently audits all job postings to reduce duplicates and redundancies. To post a job or apprenticeship opportunity on our job board, click the “Get Started” button at the top right of the page. You will have to register your organization or company before being approved to post. If you have questions, you can call (866) 741-6210.
A registered apprenticeship is a mixture of classroom instruction and on-the-job training that’s been approved by the Department of Labor (DOL). Helmets to Hardhats works to connect transitioning active‐duty military, National Guard, Reserve, and current veterans to these registered apprenticeship opportunities. These apprenticeship programs can last from 3-5 years. When you finish your apprenticeship, you will be considered a journey-level worker.
Apprenticeships are an earn while you learn opportunity. Throughout your apprenticeship, you will be getting paid for your on-the-job training at a percentage of the journey-level worker pay. The further you move through your apprenticeship, the more money you make until you reach journey-level status! Veterans may also claim their GI Bill benefits during their apprenticeship. Beyond pay, apprentices will also be given a benefits package complete with healthcare and retirement plans.
Service members who qualify for GI Bill benefits can use their GI Bill to supplement their income during most registered apprenticeship programs. Meaning that you can earn while you learn more than the average apprentice because your GI Bill benefits go straight into your pocket. To calculate the benefits you will receive from using your GI Bill, utilize the GI Bill calculator.
The construction industry offers an annual salary higher than the overall national average with more than 80 unique apprenticeship programs. The opportunities to learn and grow are endless with most trades offering optional training courses even after you’ve completed your apprenticeship. The wage and benefits packages are unmatched and can provide a secure and comfortable living for you and your family. To learn more about each trade, click here.
Yes, H2H has a variety of careers listed on the job board. Many employers list several types of construction-related career opportunities for H2H program users, including administrative assistants, office managers, project managers, estimators, engineers, and other management positions.
As an administrative assistant, you could be doing a wide variety of office work including customer communication via phone or email, maintaining a customer data-base, handling payroll or other employee information, or assisting material and supply orders or service call invoices.
As an estimator, you may spend your day traveling to specific jobs or project locations to measure and estimate the cost of the labor and supplies that your team will need to complete each individual job. You will be the face most customers interact with! This position may require you to place orders or do other forms of paperwork to ensure the client gets what they need.
As a project manager, you will be controlling the time, quality, and cost of construction projects. You may work with architects, vendors, engineers, and others while coordinating all parts of the construction process.
Eligibility can vary among the different trades. Some of the most common points of eligibility include being at least 18 years of age, having an honorable discharge, having a high school diploma or equivalent, passing a drug test (if applicable to the trade), and completing a formal interview (if applicable to the trade).
Each trade has different pay scales depending on the opportunity. When you explore the trades, you will see pay information on the left-hand side provided by the Department of Labor. While these are only estimates, it may help you gauge how much you could be making at any given trade.
While we may not be able to give you an exact number for every given trade at every given location in the United States, we can tell you that you will begin making money on day one. Most opportunities will also allow you to start earning healthcare and retirement benefits on day one as well.
Once you decide to create an H2H profile, you will be able to search for career opportunities in your area. These job postings will list the wages/salary expected in each program or position.
At this time, H2H does not provide any training to veterans. Helmets to Hardhats makes the connection between the career providers and the candidates that apply for their career opportunities or registered apprenticeships. H2H is the North American Building and Construction Trade Union Veteran recruiting program.
The pace of the hiring process depends on the trade, location, and hiring needs of that program or employer. Once you have an active account with H2H, a staff member in the career seeker’s region takes an active role in connecting the career seeker to outstanding career and training opportunities. Feel free to discuss the application process and wait time with this person to ensure you are getting the most accurate information. If they don’t have an answer, they will find it for you! If you have questions on how to get an active account with H2H, see How Does Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) Work?
If you have military experience related to one of the construction trades, please talk to the staff member in your region about how that training may help you. It is important to note, however, that no prior experience is necessary. More often than not, most H2H veterans do not have prior experience when transitioning into the Construction Trades.
Please be aware that H2H is not a job placement company. We connect service members and thousands of quality opportunities in the construction trades. Our job is to get you to the doorsteps of these registered apprenticeship programs. At the end of the day, it is your hardwork and determination that will get you into an apprenticeship program or construction-related position.
H2H has successfully transitioned about 42,000 service members since 2003. Because we connect veterans to opportunities – without doing the actual hiring – it is impossible to know of everyone who has been hired. However, we do request Known Successful Transition (KST) numbers from our career providers and receive many calls from veterans thanking us for connecting them to a great new career. Follow us on social media to see testimonials and KST spotlights!
All employers listing jobs on our job board have to be signatory to one of our participating affiliates and in good standing with their union contract agreement. When a company or organization registers as an employer on our site, they are vetted to ensure that their mission aligns with the goals and priorities of giving our service men and women the best training, benefits, and pay possible. We frequently audit our job postings to ensure that duplicates do not arise and that all job opportunities are kept up to date for accurate information.
H2H works to connect National Guard, Reserve, veterans, and transitioning active‐duty military service members to jobs and apprenticeships in the organized construction trades. This means that, yes, all the job postings listed on our job board come from employers who are signatory and in good standing with their construction union or from apprenticeships established and connected with one of our union affiliates.
Interested companies who are unsure if they qualify to list jobs with Helmets to Hardhats are encouraged to fill out our contact form. One of our staff members will be reaching out to you as soon as possible.
Employers who qualify for the H2H program gain access to a pool of veteran career seekers who are hardworking, safety-conscious, and highly dependable. Learn more by visiting our Why a Veteran page.
H2H was created by the Center for Military Recruitment, Assessment, and Veterans Employment (CMRAVE); a 501(c)3 nonprofit that is a joint entity between labor and management organizations. Helmets to Hardhats began in 2002 and was established as a 501(c)3 in 2003. The program is designed to help military service members successfully transition back into civilian life by offering them the means to secure a quality career in the construction industry.
Funding and support come from private foundations, employers, employer associations, unions, grants, and other construction trade related companies that believe in our mission. If you would like to become a donor, click here.