JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Service members at Joint Base San Antonio transitioning from the military have several options for assistance when preparing for a new career.
SkillBridge, for the Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard, also called the Career Skills Program for the Army and Marine Corps, is a Department of Defense initiative geared toward preparing service members for their next career by connecting them with civilian education, job training and work experience opportunities. Some opportunities are also open to spouses, dependents or caregivers.
“This program affords transitioning service members and others an opportunity to get a head start on either their transition as they make their way into the civilian workforce or into a career after a move or finishing school,” said Jose Ontiveros, Joint Base San Antonio Career Skills Program/DOD SkillBridge coordinator. “We do this through a few avenues; internships, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and even some credentialing programs.”
While DOD established the military services’ transition programs, each branch runs the program differently.
The Army facilitates the Career Skills Program by using transition centers, while the Air Force’s SkillBridge program is administered through the education centers. All have the same goals though, easing the transition to a successful civilian career.
The greatest benefit of either program is that transitioning service members may utilize up to 180 days prior to their date of separation to train and work with an industry partner, though Ontiveros said release for these programs is always mission-dependent, and the member’s commander must authorize participation.
Once approved for a program, the work really begins as participants have several tasks to complete, including locating a training opportunity.
Dominique Lester, an Air Force Veteran, was amazed at how smoothly the process went.
“One of the big things for me was how simple it was. When I initially heard about it, I thought it was too good to be true,” he said. “The process was as simple as getting my commander to sign off on it and working with the education center. The resource centers on base were extremely helpful.”
Lester, who now works in real estate thanks to SkillBridge, encourages others to seek programs that may help with their military-to-civilian transition.
“If you know what you want to get into, and are uncertain of whether you will get hired, contact the liaisons of SkillBridge or the Career Skills Program,” Lester said. “For veterans who have been in longer than maybe myself, six years, they have been doing military processes for so long, they don’t know what’s out there. They don’t know how it works. Having the six months, or however long you decide to do the program, really helps you to interact with people who are not veterans. That alone really does help.”
Another key attribute of the programs is that service members continue receiving military compensation and are covered by military benefits while participating.
“Having the privilege of keeping my military pay and benefits while transitioning into a civilian career was extremely important to me,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Cathy Ulmer, currently a medical technician at JBSA who is preparing to retire. “My daughter has major health issues and is dependent on my insurance for her survival. We also recently bought a new home, and the steady income from not having a gap in employment has decreased a huge burden as well.”
Ulmer attended school while on active duty and received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Texas A&M in 2018. Unfortunately, she was unable to transfer those skills to the military.
“I passed the Texas NCLEX-RN (registered nurse exam) in March 2019 and fulfilled my dream of becoming a registered nurse,” she said. “I thought I would easily be commissioned and continue to serve the USAF as a nurse, but was not selected. Soon after, I heard about the SkillBridge program and it gave me hope again.”
The new nurse will begin her training program in late February and is thankful for the help she received in getting to that point.
“Lynda Packett at the JBSA-Randolph Education Office has been my angel, guiding me through the process,” she said. “Thanks to her assistance, I was offered an internship with United Health Group, where I will be working as an RN at various WellMed Clinics.”
Andera Alexander, a former civil affairs Soldier who retired after 20 years of service, did not expect his transition to military retirement to be so difficult.
“I thought my military skills were going to be an easy sell. It was not that easy. I had to explain what I did in the military in a different way,” he said. “It takes a lot of confidence. It takes a lot of hard work and should not be taken for granted. There are a lot of people who have done it before. You have to get out and ask questions and participate in these programs. I would not be a process engineer at USAA today had it not been for the Skillbridge program.”
During the program’s first year at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, Ontiveros said 10 individuals were placed into career opportunities through the Career Skills Program. In the second year, 44 were placed; in the third year, 177; and in 2019, 310 participants were placed into various training programs.
Thankfully, many of these placements led to permanent jobs.
“We are sitting at an 86 percent job offer rate,” Ontiveros said, referring to JBSA placements that occurred after a training period was completed. “We are really excited for what next year is going to bring.”
For more information or to apply for one of JBSA’s transition employment programs, contact the JBSA Career Skills Program/DOD SkillBridge coordinator at 210-221-1672, the Military & Family Readiness Center’s Employment Readiness Program at 210-221-2705, or one of the base education centers at https://www.jbsa.mil/Resources/Education/. Air Force members should first contact their respective Education Centers to begin the process.
(Editor’s note: The mention of non-federal organizations is simply informational and not intended to imply endorsement by the U.S. Government, the DOD, or the U.S. Air Force.)