VetsBuild program offers green-jobs training

Long Island's business community has stepped forward to provide more help for veterans, in the form of training for green jobs.

National Grid and United Way of Long Island are running a program called VetsBuild Long Island, which operates out of United Way's training center in Deer Park. Vets are taught about installation, green construction and weatherproofing. United Way is using about $300,000 of the approximately $3 million National Grid donates to it annually.

A first class of 17 vets graduated last week from the six-week program. Another class is to be offered in August.

Mike Ruiz, National Grid's director of community and customer management, said the program for vets was an outgrowth of another, called YouthBuild, which teaches green technology to young people. Much of the equipment for the program was donated by Marplat Co. Inc., a manufacturers' rep agency and stocking distributor in Westbury, Ruiz said.

Christopher McGlynn, 39, of Westbury, an Army vet who served in Iraq in the mid- 2000s, went through the green training program but has now found a job with a medical company. He may still use his training at a later point, Mc-Glynn said. "I learned a lot of things about safety," he said.

Marine Corps vet Tim Sargalski, 27, of Riverhead, who was discharged in October 2011 after serving two tours in Iraq, also just completed the green training program.

"I'm hoping to do weatherization" for the solar industry, Sargalski said. Eventually, he said, he wants to become a Suffolk County police officer and continue working in the green industry part-time.

To apply, call United Veterans Beacon House at 631-665- 1571 or go to uvbh.com.