Editorial · November 12, 2023
DoD SkillBridge: How Employers Host Service Members
DoD SkillBridge lets service members work and train with a civilian employer during the last 180 days of their military service. The employer gets early access to skilled people. The Department of Defense keeps paying the service member. For a company, the program can be a low-cost way to meet future hires.
What the program is
SkillBridge is a Department of Defense program. It gives service members a chance to gain civilian work experience through industry training, apprenticeships or internships. This takes place in the final 180 days before they leave the military.
The idea is simple. Service members who are about to leave active duty learn how a civilian job works. Employers see how those people perform. Both sides can decide if a permanent job makes sense.
The Department says about 200,000 members of the armed forces leave active duty each year. They are stationed at more than 140 military installations in the U.S. and overseas. Many of them will look for civilian work or go back to school.
How the arrangement works
A service member can be granted up to 180 days of permissive duty. That time lets the person train full time with an approved industry partner. Before it starts, the service member needs written approval from a field grade commander in the chain of command.
During this time the service member stays on military pay. The Department of Defense keeps paying the salary and benefits. The employer provides the training and the work experience.
The Department states that participants cannot also receive wages or other benefits from the industry partner. It describes SkillBridge as a capstone training experience at the end of a military career. That is a key rule for any employer who is planning a program.
Why employers take part
The main draw is cost. The program page says employers can build programs to fit their own workforce needs, all at no cost. The Department pays the service member, so the employer does not run payroll for the participant.
Employers also get time to evaluate people. The program page says partners can assess whether a service member suits future employment. A hiring decision after a few months of real work is better informed than one made after a short interview.
Location does not have to be a barrier. The Department says partners across the country may use virtual, online or distance learning and training. A commander may also make on-base facilities available, or approve training at the employer's site at minimal to no cost.
The program lists partners in many fields. Its overview names Amazon, John Deere, Lockheed Martin, UnitedHealth Group and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs among them, and says hundreds more take part.
What an employer needs to qualify
Not every company is accepted. The Department of Defense lists three tests for a successful industry partner.
- You have clearly defined job training and career development programs for returning service members.
- You can show a high probability that a job will be open to participants when the program ends.
- You can show that your industry is in demand and offers a path to advance beyond the first job.
The point is that SkillBridge is a bridge to a real job. A program that is only free labor does not fit that goal. An employer should plan a program that teaches real skills and leads to an offer.
How to apply
The first step is an Inquiry Form, found under the "How to Participate" tab on the industry partner page. After that, the Department sends the information needed to complete an application.
The site offers a toolkit to prepare. It includes a list of required training plan elements, an application preview that shows every question in advance, a training plan matrix, a competency matrix and a job description template. It also has a stakeholder table for listing everyone who helps run the program.
An employer that offers a Department of Labor registered apprenticeship should have its certificate or approval letter ready. The Department notes that showing up in the DOL Apprenticeship Finder is an advantage.
As of early November 2023, the program site said it was accepting new industry partner applications. It also said information sessions for new partners had resumed. Existing partners in good standing, with an active or extended agreement, were automatically extended into next year, to the start of June.
Steps to consider before you apply
Start with the job. Write down the roles a service member could fill when the program ends, and be honest about whether those jobs exist. Next, draft a training plan that fits within 180 days or fewer. Then name the people who will supervise, teach and report on progress.
Employers who describe the role clearly are likely to attract better matches. The program site says that knowing the required training plan elements and application questions in advance makes the rest of the process smoother.
Finally, remember the pay rule. The employer cannot pay the participant during the program, so any offer of paid work should begin after it ends.
Sources: DoD SkillBridge home page; DoD SkillBridge, Program Overview; DoD SkillBridge, Industry Partners. Pages as published by the program in autumn 2023.