BATON ROUGE — A Louisiana non-profit has been awarded a $6.5 million grant by the U.S. Department of Labor to help transition veterans into careers in the industrial construction industry. 

The Boot announced Wednesday that the grant will be awarded over three years and will fund the Military and Veteran Gulf Coast Industrial Craft Careers Pipeline to recruit transitioning service members, veterans and military family members into high-demand trade, construction, defense industrial base and aviation-maintenance careers.

The program aims to transition service members across Louisiana, Coastal Mississippi and the Texas Gulf Coast within six months of being accepted into the program.

The program translates existing military experience into industry-recognized credentials, as well as taking service members with strong aptitude and training them in in-demand skilled trades. The Boot will serve as head of the program, a news release noted. 

“This investment represents a tremendous opportunity to connect two of our nation’s greatest assets: the extraordinary talent of our transitioning military population and the growing demand for skilled workers across the Gulf Coast,” Founder of The Boot Andrew Ward said.