IBEW's Nationwide "Helmets to Hardhats" Program Aids Returning Vets

New Program Helps Service Members Find Jobs

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- Soldiers returning home from the frontlines of the War on Terror have a new recourse when it comes to finding post-military employment.

Gov. Jim Douglas is endorsing “Helmets to Hardhats.” The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) sponsored-program is designed to help unemployed service members find a job. Three months after completing his tour of duty, former Coast Guardsman Jason O’Rourke needed a job. “It was kind of scary. You don’t really know what’s going to happen,” said O’Rourke.

The Albany, N.Y., native found the help he needed at IBEW. There, he enrolled in the union’s apprenticeship program, and a found lead on a new job. “It’s great ‘cause they send it to my e-mail, and I click on it to respond and then send me an e-mail back with a person to call, and when to call them and where they’re located. It’s great reference point,” explained O’Rourke.

Leigh Girouard of the IBEW Union says the “Helmets to Hardhats” program not only aids service members, but also helps the industry. According to Girouard, “You have people coming in from the military, that have good habits, good skills -- so we'd like to employ them.” Jason O’Rourke believes employment puts him one step closer to reaching his dreams. “I'll be able to make some pretty good money and do what I want to do -- buy a house, maybe a camper or a trailer or a campsite somewhere on the lake. I'll be able to do all that stuff,” said O’Rourke.

Douglas plans to sign a resolution on the program Friday.For more information on the Helmets to Hardhats program, visit the program’s Web site at http://www.helmetstohardhats.org.