November 2023 Issue
A monthly forum to share diversity, equity, and inclusion resources.
Welcome to the next installment of Read.Watch.Listen. This month, we honor Veterans' Day, which occurs annually on November 11th. This month’s issue includes resources for firms who want to hire and support veteran engineers as well as for veterans who are transitioning from the military to the construction industry.
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SE3 also wants to acknowledge that November is Native American History Month. We invite you to review our November 2021 Read.Watch.Listen issue, in which we recognize the accomplishments and contributions of Native Americans to our professions and call attention to some of the difficulties that Native engineers face in our industry.
Read.Watch.Listen is a monthly forum hosted by the NCSEA SE3 Committee to share and promote conversations on diversity, equity and inclusion within the structural engineering profession. Each month, we will curate a series of articles, audio-visual and digital media to facilitate self-education in matters that affect our professional practice as structural engineers. Whether you choose to read, watch, or listen (or all three!), we hope you will join us in this important conversation. Missed the previous issue? Check out the NCSEA SE3 Committee News and Publication page.
Share your thoughts and/or recommended resources for the next issue at ncsea@ncsea.com.
Why the Construction Industry Needs Veterans - NCCER
This article lists many reasons why private firms should hire veterans, highlighting the various transferable skills veterans acquire during military service. The article also gives guidance on how the construction industry can attract veterans into the industry workforce.
G.I. Jobs Success After Service - G.I. Jobs
Interviewed in this video is Matt Disher, a Marine Corps Veteran, the Executive Director of the Military and Veterans Programs, and the Chairman of Veteran Employee Resource Groups (ERG) at Cushman & Wakefield. Disher shares his experience with transitioning from the military to the civilian workforce and how every veteran can be in control of their transition despite the challenges. He reminds veterans that the biggest hurdle is getting to the right person to demonstrate your talents, and he highlights the importance of a good resume that will showcase transferable skills. For more information about Veteran ERGs, check out Matt’s website at mattdisher.com.
Breaking Down Walls: Mental Health Advocacy in Construction - The Construction Veteran Podcast
This podcast interviews Brian Winningham, a former Army Ranger turned construction industry expert. As he shared on the podcast: the suicide rate for general population of adults in the United States is 16.5 per 100,000 people; the suicide rate for veterans, which is a national travesty, is 33 per 100,000 people; the suicide rate in construction is 53.4 per 100,000 people -- more than 3 times the national average. The industry needs to change in order to reduce those numbers, and this episode discusses ways to effect some of that change.
* If you are short on time, section 08:15 – 19:58 discusses mental health in the construction industry and section 47:47 - end focuses on transitioning from military to the construction industry.
This article was originally published in the November 2023 issue of NCSEA's Structural Connection newsletter. For more information, check out NCSEA's DEI Resources.