DE&I Committee: Veterans Day

Veterans Day is observed on November 11th and originally was known as Armistice Day in honor of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 that marked the end of World War I. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day to commemorate veterans of all wars. The military men and women who serve and protect our country come from all walks of life; they are parents, children, grandparents, friends, neighbors and coworkers, and are an important part of our communities. Each year 200,000 service members return to civilian life with incredible skills and knowledge. Due to labor shortages, construction is a great industry for veterans to transition into. Organizations such as Helmets to Hardhats, Hiring Our Heroes and Hardhat Heroes promote and guide veterans into careers in construction. The Department of Veterans Affairs GI Bill will pay for trade certifications such as HVAC, Electrical or Plumbing, if veterans are eligible and enrolled in an approved program. As of 2018, 15.5% of all veterans enter the construction industry and 11.4% of all construction companies are owned by veterans. Today approximately 666,400 veterans work in construction occupations. We currently have 28 veterans proudly working for Rogers-O’Brien Construction – Texas’ Primer Builder.

Celebrate Veterans Day by taking a moment of silence, sharing a veteran’s story, participating in the VA’s #BeThere campaign for suicide awareness, visiting a VA hospital or wearing a red poppy or pro-veteran item this year. 

Sources:

https://blog.plangrid.com/2018/11/veterans-in-construction-supporting-our-heroes-in-hardhats-infographic/

https://helmetstohardhats.org/resources-2-2-4/  #worksitewednesday  

https://veterans.byf.org/ 

https://www.hiringourheroes.org/ #hiringourheroes