Crane Industry Services LLC (CIS) is working with staffing company AEG to help returning members of the military become job-ready in the construction trades as they transition back into the civilian workforce.
The Department of Defense program is called SkillBridge. AEG pairs the individuals to partnering employers, while CIS evaluates their military credentials and trains them for a construction career.
SkillBridge is an opportunity for separating service members to plan their lives after the military. The program matches civilian opportunities to their job training and work experience at the end of their military duty, and allows service members to enhance their marketability and post-separation career prospects.
“What’s great about the program is it offers any service member a paying job while he or she gets back into civilian life,” explains Ray Rice, CIS business development manager. “These individuals often gain construction-related skills while in the military, but they aren’t sure about applying those skills to career opportunities. For the construction industry, it’s almost a perfect match.”
AEG connects service personnel to prospective, viable careers with quality employers who are likely to hire the individual after on-the-job training is completed. CIS trains and provides certification testing for skilled work, supervision, and safety as required by the industries served. The certifications are NCCER-accredited, OSHA-recognized, and can lead successful candidates to documented, journey-level qualification in more than 80 skill and leadership areas.
Participants may use up to their last six months of service to work and learn with an industry partner. They continue receiving a military paycheck and benefits at zero cost to the industry partner. The job is offered at no cost to the service member for work or safety gear, and creates a path to a job-interview referral and post-service employment. CIS provides value-added training to prepare those individuals.
“With our deep knowledge of the construction trades, we’re able to help guide these returning veterans and make their career transition a lot simpler,” said Rice.
