GLENDORA, Calif. — After spending four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, it was time for Jeremy Horton, a combat veteran, to forge a new path for his future.

“When I got out of the military, it was a little bit harder. I was about one month out of Afghanistan when I transitioned out of the military. So, it was a struggle,” Horton said.

Post-military, Horton like many veterans, had to find a way to translate what he learned into a new career in civilian life. Through his experience with welding in the military, Horton connected with the International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 18. The organization provides a no-cost apprenticeship program that helps veterans like Horton learn how to construct, repair, and maintain elevator systems.

In 2019, elevator and escalator installers and repairers made a median wage of about $85,000 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“The apprenticeship was challenging intellectually, physically, emotionally. It’s just something you think about in a whole different way. Because elevators [are] not something you grow up knowing,” Horton said.

Horton is one of 400 veterans who have gone through the apprenticeship program, which typically takes about five years to complete. It’s a challenging and dangerous job that Local 18 Business Manager Anthony Gazzaniga believes can help veterans find and sustain a new skill set and career.

“We do everything from carpentry to ironwork to electrical work. And they get these great skills that they can use and also use their skills of problem solving and protecting the public,” Gazzaniga said.

Taking part in this hands-on career has been a step in the right direction for Horton.

“It means for my future that I’m going to have a stable career, a challenging career, and one that’s forever evolving with technology,” Horton said.

It’s an opportunity for Horton where he feels he can continue to keep Americans safe.