The Associated General Contractors of America announced that it is joining the national Hiring Our Heroes program as part of the construction industry’s effort to add 100,000 veterans over the next five years. The new partnership will make it easier for construction contractors to find, recruit and hire veterans, association officials added.

“The only thing keeping many of our members from hiring vets is figuring out how to find them,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. “This new partnership will make it easier for construction firms to find, recruit and hire veterans.”

The association’s members, commercial and civil construction firms across the country, are committed to hiring at least 100,000 veterans within five years, Sandherr said. He added that the new partnership will give member firms access to job fairs and other recruiting tools operated by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program.

The construction association official added that the new partnership comes at a time when two-thirds of construction firms report having a hard time finding skilled workers to fill positions. The partnership with Hiring Our Heroes will make it easier for firms to fill vacancies with highly qualified workers and will be a key part of the association's Workforce Development Plan.

“Construction firms are always eager to hire veterans because they make such great professionals,” Sandherr said. “As the economy continues to expand our members will be looking to hire even more veterans than they already do.”

Sandherr added that construction firms already hire a significant number of veterans, noting that veterans are more likely to be hired in construction than non-veterans, according to federal employment data. But he added that many firms report having a hard time figuring out how to identify soldiers, sailors and airmen that are about to leave active duty and enter the private-sector workforce.