When you leave the military, that transition is a challenging time. Sure, you meet all kinds of people who are thankful for your service and want to help you, and you can take serious pride in what you’ve learned and accomplished. But you’ve got to identify and start the next phase of your work life, and thank-you’s and attaboys don’t pay the bills.

The things you’re used to, and enjoy – clear structure, strong teamwork, specific mission goals, steady pay and good benefits – aren’t always easy to find in civilian employment. And going to college can be a time-consuming and expensive process, with no guarantee of a job at the end.

But there are some fields of work that are natural fits for ex-military, and construction is one of the best. That’s why a NWLETT apprenticeship program is a great career-transition option.

And the construction industry knows the value of military experience, too. Check out some of these thoughts from industry recruiters and analysts:

“For construction contractors looking to add skilled employees to their business, there isn’t a better pool of candidates to choose from than the men and women transitioning from the military.”

“When I look at my work force, I want guys and girls out there who take pride in what they do. When they take pride in what they do, they tend to work safely and productively. You find a lot of that in the military. You find men and women who take pride in what they do and perform quality work each and every day.”

“If someone has leadership skills and the ability to be responsible, which a lot of our veterans have, they can potentially be a foreman or a supervisor and lead one of our project sites. So the opportunity to not only get paid but to advance is strong.”

Here’s another sign that military service and the construction industry are a good match: a recent article from HireOurHeroes.org outlined the top 14 military-friendly job categories. The first field on that list? The skilled trades – which are the jobs you can learn through an NWLETT apprenticeship.

But let’s break it down and get more specific about why this construction training program might be the way to go for you.

• It offers financial stability: If you take six months or a year to get into a steady job after your service ends, you can blow through money pretty quickly – or even accumulate crippling debt. With an apprenticeship, you get paid from Day One. You’re learning while you’re working, and getting a steady paycheck.
• It’s team-oriented: If you bring one thing with you from the military, it’s an appreciation for teamwork and camaraderie. In construction, the job doesn’t get done right without a total team approach – it’s a shared effort, a shared result, and a shared sense of satisfaction.
• It’s hands-on and tangible: Speaking of satisfaction, one of the best things about working in construction is that you’re out there building things – you get solid, objective proof of your hard work. You’re not selling something, you’re not pushing numbers around; you’re creating something every day.
• The foundation is education and training: The military excels in teaching usable skills. A construction apprenticeship is a continuation of that process – you’re learning the exact things you’ll be applying in your career, and the training is on-the-job and ongoing.
• It offers a balanced life: One of the trickiest things for anyone – especially someone used to 24-hour loyalty and commitment in the military – is to strike a work-life balance. Construction is optimal for this; you work hard, earn your pay, then leave the job behind until the next day.

A construction apprenticeship with NWLETT lets you earn a living wage from your first day, with practical on-the-job training and plenty of opportunities for career advancement.

So you’re ready for Act II of your career and life… well, here’s a path that offers a lot for someone in your position. Contact NWLETT.