Award of Excellence: JOE MALONEY.

The article focuses on the efforts of union leader Joe Malony to establish a program to assist veterans in finding meaningful construction careers in the U.S. Helmets to Hardhats, or H2H as the recruitment program is known, allows both prospective workers and employers to register online. It was founded in 2003 by the 15 construction labor unions. Joe Maloney is the unlikely champion of Helmets to Hardhats. H2H could not have blossomed at a better time. National unemployment figures average just over 5%, but the unemployment rate for veterans is closer to 15%. With thousands of service members returning from Afghanistan and Iraq without jobs or careers, H2H is helping to fill that void. In just over two years, more than 17,000 veterans have been matched with apprentice opportunities.