June 2020

VETS Unveils TAP Apprenticeship Pilot

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The Veterans’ Employment & Training Service (VETS) will soon be launching a Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Apprenticeship Pilot that seek to identify, track, and increase the number of service members and their spouses that are hired prior to separation from the military into apprenticeship opportunities. Apprenticeship can be an extremely valuable model for veterans making the transition back to the civilian workforce.

Apprenticeships help businesses develop highly skilled employees, reduce turnover rates, increase productivity, and lower the cost of recruitment. Other benefits include customized training, increased knowledge transfer through on-the-job learning, and a stable and reliable pipeline of qualified workers. Apprenticeship can be a win-win situation for both employees and employers.

According to the Department of Labor, “Apprenticeship is a proven approach for preparing workers for jobs while meeting the needs of business for a highly-skilled workforce… Apprenticeship is a flexible training strategy that can be customized to meet the needs of any business.” In the 2019 federal fiscal year, more than 252,000 individuals nationwide entered the apprenticeship system and 81,000 apprentices graduated from the system (Department of Labor 2019). Data also shows that many occupations with apprenticeships have relatively high wages (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2016), making it a great alternative to a more standard career pathway.

Transitioning service members can benefit tremendously from apprenticeships and use those opportunities as a springboard to a meaningful career after the military. Apprenticeships allow veterans to take the technical skills they developed in the military and adapt them to the civilian workplace.

The TAP Apprenticeship Pilot will run from 2020 through early 2021 and will take place at eight military installations across the United States that were chosen in collaboration with the Department of Defense: Fort Bragg, NC; Fort Bliss, TX; Naval Station Norfolk, VA; Naval Station San Diego, CA; Nellis Air Force Base, NV; Travis Air Force Base, CA; Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC, and; Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, CA.

For general information or to get involved in the Apprenticeship Pilot, please contact Carolyn Renick, Apprenticeship, Licensing and Credentialing Lead, Veterans’ Employment & Training Services (VETS), U.S. Department of Labor, [email protected].

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