Military experience can prepare veterans for future careers in civilian life, and many military jobs either have a civilian counterpart or complementary skill requirements. But the transition from military to civilian careers can be difficult. One tool that can help veterans find a new civilian career, and also connect cities with a highly skilled workforce, is the Department of Defense (DoD) SkillBridge Program. Around 200,000 members of the armed forces leave the military and re-enter the civilian workforce each year.

Established in 2014, the SkillBridge Program allows military service members, with the permission of their unit commander, to spend the final 180 days of their active military service doing full-time job training, apprenticeships, or internships with approved civilian partner organizations and employers. During that period, since the service member is still officially employed by the military, the military is still responsible for that service member’s pay, benefits, industrial insurance, etc. during their participation in the program. Service member participation in the program is growing rapidly, with around 4,600 participants in 2019 to over 22,000 by 2022 nationwide. In that same time, civilian partner organizations grew from only 150 to over 3,600.

To become an approved SkillBridge industry partner organization, an employer must sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the DoD. Approved partners are required to:

• Have a “clearly defined job training and career development program” geared towards returning service members, with a focus on building necessary skills, knowledge, and abilities for that type of work,
• Ensure a high probability that a job will be available to the service members once they complete the employers SkillBridge program,
• And can demonstrate that the industry is in demand with opportunities for professional advancement beyond the starting job.

Interested cities can find more information on what they need to get started as approved partners here. Have questions or interested in partnering? Contact the SkillBridge Program. Only a few Washington state local governments are already SkillBridge employers:

• Mason County Sherriff’s Office
• City of Anacortes
• City of Pasco Police Department
• Spokane County
• City of Spokane Police Department

Many cities are having difficulty finding qualified applicants and filling positions, especially in police, public works, general administration, and planning departments. Washington is home to several of the largest military installations in the West, with tens of thousands of service members. Programs like SkillBridge could be a way for cities to tap the talent that is already here and offer former service members a meaningful chance to serve their communities once again.