As the Greater Tennessee Chapter Chair-Elect of Associated Builders and Contractors for 2014, I am honored to be a part of this fine group for many reasons, but very importantly because of their dedication to transition our veterans back into civilian life. ABC's national chairman Dan Brodbeck, a Greater Tennessee Chapter member, in conjunction with Don Whyte, President of NCCER, wrote an op-ed focusing on this effort. Join me in offering our veterans our deepest gratitude today and every day for their service and sacrifice to this country and its people.
This Veterans Day we will be celebrating the millions of brave men and women to whom we owe our freedom. On this day, we should also be asking ourselves how we can serve the veterans and transitioning military who have so honorably served us.
It is very easy in our busy lives to take for granted the liberties and freedoms we have here in the United States. But as we wake up each day and go to work, we need to remember that there are roughly 844,000 veterans who are currently unemployed and looking for work. Unemployment is undeniably a concern for our entire population, but to have men and women return from combat only to wonder how they will support their families is inexcusable. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the need for workers in the construction industry will grow at twice the rate of other industries in the coming years; therefore, we need to make employing these men and women a priority.
As leaders in the construction community, we are in a position to do just that. The construction industry offers many high-wage career opportunities for our servicemen and women that also include competitive benefits and technical skills training. More importantly, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), NCCER, our partners and member companies offer the opportunities for individuals to earn a living and support their families while developing their careers through apprenticeship or accredited training programs. Employers need a reliable and highly skilled workforce and veterans bring field experience, a strong work ethic and leadership skills from their military service.
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