Today is Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all Veterans who have served and sacrificed to preserve our freedom. Through programs like the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Veterans Assistance Program (IUEC-VAP), which provides tools, resources, and support to empower Veterans and their families to thrive both within the IUEC and their communities, and partnerships with organizations like Helmets to Hardhats, which facilitates Veterans entry into the building and construction trades, the IUEC is actively working to support Veterans who have served our nation and now continue to contribute to the elevator industry.
Elevator construction, modernization, maintenance, and repair demand a wide range of technical and personal skills. Mechanics work with electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, and computerized systems. They interpret drawings, diagnose failures, use specialized tools and make decisions in environments where safety cannot be compromised. The work also requires communication, adaptability, and trust among crews, contractors, building teams, and customers.
Many Veterans come into the elevator trade with experience that fits those demands. Their military occupations may have involved maintaining vehicles, aircraft, power systems, shipboard machinery, or other safety-critical equipment. They may have led teams, followed detailed technical procedures, documented work, and solved problems under pressure. Those abilities don’t replace elevator-specific training, but they can provide a strong foundation.
Military Experience That Transfers to Elevator Work
The U.S. Department of Labor’s My Next Move for Veterans identifies several military classifications as similar to elevator and escalator installer and repairer work. The connection is especially strong for service members who maintained electrical, mechanical or hydraulic equipment.
| Military occupation or experience | Transferable experience | Elevator industry application |
| Wheeled vehicle mechanic | Troubleshooting, preventive maintenance and component repair | Diagnosing mechanical faults and replacing worn parts |
| Combat engineer | Construction plans, measurement, tools and jobsite safety | Installation, layout and work in changing field conditions |
| Aviation boatswain’s mate for launching and recovery equipment | Inspection and maintenance of complex electrohydraulic machinery | Working with lifts, controls, motors and hydraulic systems |
| Electrical systems technician or maintainer | Wiring, circuits, test equipment and fault isolation | Controllers, door circuits, motors and electrical troubleshooting |
| Hydraulics repair technician | Pumps, valves, pressure systems and leak diagnosis | Installation and service of hydraulic elevators |
| Shipboard elevator electrical or mechanical maintainer | Direct experience with vertical-transportation systems | A closely related foundation for civilian elevator training |
A Veteran may have spent years maintaining aircraft, vehicles or shipboard systems without ever considering a career in elevator construction. The technical foundation may already be there; awareness of the trade may not be. IUEC outreach helps make that connection visible, showing Veterans how related experience can support a new career in elevator installation, maintenance, repair or modernization.
Working with the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) and recruitment partners like Helmets to Hardhats, the IUEC helps Veterans understand how their military experience relates to the trade and what additional training they will need. Military skills provide a starting point. NEIEP education, supervised field experience and applicable licensing requirements develop the specialized knowledge needed to work safely and successfully in the elevator industry.
IUEC Leadership in Building Career Pathways
Once Veterans discover the elevator industry, they need a structured path into the trade. Helmets to Hardhats helps transitioning active-duty personnel, Veterans, National Guard members and Reservists connect with opportunities in union construction. NEIEP provides a four-plus-year U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship that combines classroom education, hands-on learning and supervised work in the field.
This earn-while-you-learn model allows apprentices to develop elevator-specific expertise while receiving a paycheck. Eligible Veteran-apprentices may also qualify to use GI Bill education benefits during approved apprenticeship and on-the-job training.
Awareness remains a major barrier. In testimony submitted for a 2025 congressional hearing, the IUEC and NEIEP cited federal data showing that only 0.31 percent of Post-9/11 GI Bill participants used the benefit for apprenticeship or on-the-job training in 2024. That figure points to a broader industry challenge: Veterans cannot pursue opportunities they do not know exist.
The IUEC is addressing that awareness gap through national and local engagement with Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Defense and military transition partners. These relationships help bring information about elevator careers to the places where Veterans seek employment guidance and support. Local union outreach makes that information more useful by connecting Veterans with people who understand the trade, apprenticeship recruitment and their communities.
Helmets to Hardhats Partner Perspective
“It’s outstanding what they’re doing,” said Martin Helms, Executive Director of the Helmets to Hardhats program. “Helmets to Hardhats focuses on recruitment. Once Veterans get into the (NEIEP) registered apprenticeship, the aftercare is really taking place… making sure their GI Bill benefits are getting processed correctly and on time, doing the VA compensation, making sure they have good mental health resources available. A lot of what (the IUEC is) doing is out of the realm of what H2H is really in the business of doing…there are very few affiliates that provide those resources to the members that are Veterans.”
What Veterans Bring to the Industry
The value of military experience extends beyond technical familiarity. Military service often requires people to work within established procedures, communicate across teams, and remain accountable for equipment and outcomes. These habits are relevant across elevator installation, service, repair and modernization.
| Industry need | Experience Veterans may bring |
| Safe performance in hazardous environments | Risk awareness, procedural discipline, and experience using protective equipment |
| Troubleshooting complex systems | Methodical fault isolation, testing, and repair under time pressure |
| Team coordination | Clear communication, defined responsibilities, and accountability to the crew |
| Reliable maintenance | Inspection routines, documentation, and preventive-maintenance experience |
| Leadership development | Experience training others, managing priorities, and adapting when conditions change |
These strengths matter to everyone who depends on vertical transportation. Building owners and managers need professionals who can work safely in occupied properties, communicate clearly, and understand the operational impact of equipment decisions. Customers and the riding public benefit from a workforce trained to maintain reliable, code-compliant systems.
To learn more about the work being done to help Veterans transition to careers in the elevator industry, and how the Veterans Assistance Program supports Veterans once they’re begun working in the trade, click on the search bar at the upper right corner of the page and type in the word “Veterans”.