Last week, the Center for Military and Veterans Services participated in the Building Trades & Municipal Veterans Symposium in New York City. Organized by the Union Labor Advisory (ULA) Network and featuring veterans committees from local unions across the city, the event brought together building and construction trades partners and those supporting veterans and their families to focus on connection, community, and career resources.

The Center’s participation underscored the breadth of its national network, which spans employers, labor unions, academic institutions, non-profits, and civic organizations. We deepened existing relationships with building trades union partners — expanding the web of organizations equipped to connect veterans with meaningful, lasting careers in the trades. Few sectors offer greater untapped potential than the building and construction trades for veterans and their families.

This is exactly the kind of grassroots, community-driven infrastructure that the Center seeks to strengthen. We ensured these organizations have the tools, knowledge, and connections they need to create an ecosystem where veterans and their families don’t just find a job — they find a career and a community.

The Center continues to expand its presence among building trades unions nationally, events like this one serve as a reminder of what is possible when the right partners come together with a shared commitment to those who served.