Vets: Be All You Can Be With Construction Jobs

“From the Ground Up” (or FTGU) is a new monthly video collaboration between LAANE’s Construction Careers Project and the UCLA Labor Center’s California Construction Academy (CCA). This series will show the fascinating, real-life stories related to construction, one of the best paths to middle-class opportunities for low-income communities in an era of globalization and education budget cuts.

FTGU will be profiling unique, diverse individuals within the construction trades, ranging from veterans to women to former convicts to youth of different incomes and ethnicities. We will also bring together experts on the construction industry, urban planners, economic theorists and others to look at the bigger picture of how construction jobs that build tomorrow’s public infrastructure can impact residents’ lives and, ultimately, our economy.

In this first video we interview Philip and Rich, two former veterans-turned-construction workers in Inglewood and Lakewood. Philip’s military experience and kids led him to sheet metal work, which has helped him find a greater sense of inner peace. Rich, a pipefitter working on an enormous solar farm, talks about honoring three generations of military service in his family.

We are excited to share this new series with you. Please enjoy, share with friends and stay posted for next month’s video.