What is SkillBridge?
Department of Defense SkillBridge is a program that offers skills training and internships to transitioning service members through an Authorized SkillBridge Organization. Authorized Skillbridge organizations are companies or nonprofits whose programs have been approved by the Department of Defense because they represent an opportunity for service members to gain skills that make them more employable on transition from the military. These opportunities take place during a service member's last 180 days of Service. During this time, the service member trains and learns from an industry partner while still receiving military compensation and benefits.
How can utilizing Skillbridge improve your business?
Each year, approximately 200,000 members of the U.S. Armed Forces will transition out of the military. Through carefully crafted SkillBridge programs designed to meet their specific workforce needs, industry partners gain early access to these service members' experience, skills, and work ethic.
Because the U.S. Department of Defense pays the service member's salary and benefits while the service member participates in a SkillBridge program during their final 180 days of service, there is no cost for leveraging and upskilling this unique talent pool.
Creating and managing an approved Skillbridge program is a way for companies to expand their access to this highly sought-after talent pool by upskilling and preparing candidates before they become full-time hires.
How Partnerships Can Help
Workforce partnerships like HireSkills help clients navigate complex government programs, including Department of Defense's SkillBridge and Department of Labor apprenticeships, as well as other veteran and military spouse training and upskilling programs. There are currently over 1000 authorized Skillbridge programs competing for military talent, so it is important to have a competitive edge.
While invaluable for expanding access to military talent, these programs can be time-consuming to stand up and manage. Experienced partners help companies create a seamless pipeline with minimal burden on your team. These partnerships ensure that your SkillBridge program is authorized and that it maximizes the experience for your company and the servicemember, ensuring an optimized conversion-to-hire rate.
By upskilling and reskilling military, veterans, and civilians, businesses tap into existing expertise while providing these men and women with workplace-relevant knowledge and advanced skills.
SkillBridge Program FAQS
How upskilling your workforce benefits your organization?
Upskilling enables companies to expand access to valuable military talent while upskilling them with the specific traits necessary to best perform their job. This allows a company to gain a competitive edge and stay ahead of the growing skills gap.
What does upskilling mean?
Crucial for technical skills, upskilling is an investment in furthering the skills and aptitude of the workforce to meet current and future needs. Upskilling is typically offered along a specific skill set and offers businesses the ability to stay competitive in rapidly evolving fields, such as Skilled Manufacturing, Semiconductor, Energy, and Logistics.
How do I become a SkillBridge provider?
To become an Authorized SkillBridge Organization, a business must:
- Have a clearly defined job training and career development program designed to enhance opportunities for transitioning service members.
- Commit to a 100% interview rate and a high probability of conversion to full-time employment for the servicemember on transition.
- Have evidence that your industry is in demand and has opportunities for professional advancement beyond initial employment.
- Commit to developing and supervising your Skillbridge participants throughout the program to ensure a high conversion rate.
If an organization can attest to these requirements, it must then complete a detailed proposal including proposed skills training, schedules and stakeholder engagement plan, and a preliminary questionnaire. On approval by the Department of Defense, the organization is then added to the Authorized Skillbridge Organizations list and can begin recruiting candidates to their program.
Bridging the Gap
Programs such as SkillBridge offer early access to talented men and women transitioning from the military. Once approved, organizations enjoy the ability to train an intern in the specific skills needed in their future role, while the service member is being paid by the military. These programs can be difficult to navigate, so it may be wise to consider a partner to guide you through the process. No matter how you approach upskilling, though, it is a wise investment that produces agile, productive team members.
Archives
- May 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
RSS Feed