WINSTON-SALEM, NC Adaptive Construction Solutions Inc. (ACS), Houston, Texas, has been approved by the Steel Erectors Association of America as a SEAA/NCCER Ironworker Training Unit and Assessment Site. 

The company, which opened its doors in April and recently became a member of SEAA, completed its first two training classes in June and July, providing 36 veterans with Level 1 Ironworker training. ACS hires military veterans, trains them to become Ironworkers, and contracts them out to local General Contractor and Steel Erection Contractor partners in the Gulf Coast region.

Nick Morgan, a Commercial Insurance Agent, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant and veteran of the Iraq War, founded ACS. 

"We are veterans, taking care of veterans for the purpose of retraining military personnel and supplying much needed qualified workers into the construction industry," said Brittany Burton, Marketing Director for ACS and USMC Sgt.

Initial training consists of an intensive 96-hour program, with classroom and hands-on training over a 12-day period. This includes use of a training tower, which provides a real-world environment for lifting and placing steel, learning fall protection and prevention techniques, bolting, welding, and other tasks. ACS uses the SEAA/NCCER Ironworker curriculum.

Upon completion of the initial training period veterans immediately enter the workforce with enough skills to be a productive apprentice member of their ironworking crew. Empire Steel, Postel International and Steelco are among the companies in the Greater Houston Area that have already hired ACS Ironworkers for projects. 

"Transitioning veterans thrive in team-oriented environments built on trust and empathy," said Morgan.

Choosing to hire veterans outright in order to provide them with the necessary training, ACS sub-contracts its Ironworkers to area steel erectors. Morgan took this unique approach because he believes one of the most important factors in re-integrating military personnel to civilian life is a steady paycheck.