The U.S. Department of Labor is honoring the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Military Veterans Program as part of the 2024 HIRE Vets Medallion Award program. The UBC MVP Program earned the platinum award for large employers, marking the fourth consecutive year the program has been named a gold or platinum award recipient.
The Military Veterans Program is designed for soldiers transitioning out of the U.S. Army at select locations around the country: Fort Cavazos in Killeen, Texas, Fort Drum in New York, and Fort Campbell on the Tennessee-Kentucky border. The Southeastern Carpenters Regional Council often receives graduating carpenters and millwrights from the Fort Campbell program.
The Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans (HIRE Vets) Medallion Program is the only federal award program recognizing employers who successfully recruit, hire, and retain veterans.
“The UBC MVP is honored to be recognized as a platinum medallion award recipient for the fourth year in a row,” said Mark Benacquisto, UBC Millwright/Piledriver Labor-Management Executive Director. “It’s an honor to hire veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country and have this opportunity to give back to our country’s heroes. Veterans have the leadership skills, understand the chain of command, show up daily, and have great attitudes!”
Program participants participate in a free, eight-week training program that gives military veterans preparing to enter civilian life the basic skills they need to begin a career as carpenters, millwrights, or pile drivers. The program uses hands-on projects for real-world experiences. Once civilians, these veterans have the option to join the United Brotherhood of Carpenters.
Fort Campbell Produces Dozens of Success Stories
The Mid-South Carpenters Training Trust Fund administers the Fort Campbell program. Thirteen classes have graduated from this location since the program’s inception. In 2023 alone, the Fort Campbell MVP program placed 47 veterans into the workforce, doubling the number of graduates from the prior year. Of those 47, 22 joined the UBC, meaning almost one out of every two students who learn via the MVP program opt to become a union carpenter or millwright.
Deeper Dive: Learn more about the Fort Campbell MVP program here.