New Orleans-area program hammers out careers in construction for

New Orleans CityBusiness, Jun 23, 2008 by Angelle Bergeron

New Orleans resident and Iraq veteran Dylan Tete is working to help fellow vets fight a growing battle on the home front -- re- entering civilian life in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Tete is Southeast regional director for Helmets to Hardhats, a Department of Defense-funded program that provides a matchmaking clearinghouse as well as networking support and career counseling for honorably discharged military personnel and construction industry employers.

Between 270,000 and 325,000 soldiers are discharged every year, said Darrel Roberts, executive director of H2H.

"Our challenge is trying to find those who want a career in construction," Roberts said. "One of the problems everyone faces is not a lot of people look at the construction industry as a career choice until they start realizing what they can make and the opportunities available."

In 2007, Helmets to Hardhats registered 18,731 veterans as candidates and facilitated 1,550 hires.

Tete, who served five years of Army active duty, including one year as a combat sergeant in Iraq, said transitioning back to civilian life was more difficult than he imagined.

A West Point economics graduate, Tete was supposed to attend his first day of graduate school at Tulane University the day Hurricane Katrina hit. His program was emergency response and disaster management.

"I thought I would get my master's and globetrot around the world from one disaster to another," he said. "Can you imagine a greater irony?"

As it did for many, the storm delayed Tete's plans and caused him to re-evaluate his life. He took a job with Ellis Construction in New Orleans and was superintendent in charge of constructing three Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer parks.

"I loved it," Tete said.

He thought about starting a nonprofit to attract exiting military personnel to help rebuild New Orleans. Then he discovered H2H and last year became the field representative for Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas.

Tete was assigned to the region to support ongoing efforts in the Katrina recovery region, said Art Lujan, executive director of the Gulf Coast Construction Careers Center, a pre-apprenticeship training program through the AFL-CIO.

"When I come across veterans, the first thing I do is hook them up with Dylan because many of them don't know they are entitled to GI benefits," Lujan said. Through the GI bill, veterans receive funding for college, apprenticeships or on-the-job training.

"Entry-level salaries in most of the trades are fairly low, but GI benefits are a great supplement that helps the bridge with coming out of the military and transitioning into a new career path."

As one of 15 field representatives nationwide, Tete said his personal combat experience in Iraq is an asset to helping other veterans make a successful transition.

"You come back angry, all-around, general angry," Tete said. "You know what you've done and what you're capable of, but how does that translate?"

As an example, Tete talked about a friend who is still in Iraq as a company commander for an Army unit.

"On a moment's notice, he may be conducting any host of offensive operations," Tete said. "He's also the mayor, the Sewerage and Water Board, the public works guy and the police captain. I built a business center in Mosul. I have all these skills, but what does it mean?"

According to a recently released report for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Department, young veterans earn less and have more difficulty finding jobs than their civilian counterparts.

"The report found that the percentage of veterans not in the labor force -- because they couldn't find jobs, stopped looking for work, or went back to school -- jumped from 10 percent in 2000 to 23 percent in 2005," said Tad Kicielinski, communications manager for Helmets to Hardhats. "The report also found that half of the young veterans (ages 20 to 24) with steady employment earned less than $25,000 per year."

Tete plans to attend the Louisiana State University School of Public Health in New Orleans to earn a master's degree in public health in policy and systems management and eventually work with the local Veterans Administration hospital, he said.

"I want to make sure these guys are taken care of here in Louisiana."