Information for Employers

Large Numbers of Transitioning Military Personnel and Veterans Seek Employment in the Civilian Workforce

• Over 200,000 Service members leave the military each year and the majority will seek civilian jobs
• There are approximately 24 million Veterans. Over 11 million are under the age of 60 and may be in or seeking jobs in the civilian workforce.

Military Service Provides Intensive High Quality Training and Experience

• The military spends tens of thousands of dollars on training individual Service members
• Service members receive intensive occupational training after basic training ranging in length from 8 weeks to one year or more depending on the occupational specialty
• Military training is state of the art and supplemented by extensive on-the-job training and experience
• Training continues throughout the Service member’s career to include:
  • More advanced job training
  • Leadership training
  • Specialized skills training

Transitioning Service Members and Veterans may Hold Civilian Credentials Related to your Jobs or may be Close to Attaining Them

• Transitioning Service members or Veterans who hold civilian credentials can demonstrate to prospective civilian employers that their training and experience are on par with their civilian counterparts
• Often a transitioning Service member or Veteran may need only limited gap training to qualify for a civilian credential. Programs are available to employers to help them fill these gaps.
• The DoD SkillBridge Program allows Service members within six months of separation from the military to participate in an employer-sponsored civilian job and employment training program, including pre-apprenticeships and internships. Your program could be crafted to help the transitioning Service member attain a civilian credential.

Service Members and Veterans Have Extensive Soft Skills Desired by Employees

• In addition to the high quality technical training provided in the military, Service members also gain tremendous non-technical – or "soft" – skills such as leadership, communication skills, teamwork and collaboration, problem solving, adaptability, and conflict resolution
• The RAND Corporation has developed a toolkit that can help employers understand the value transitioning Service members and Veterans bring to the civilian workplace – What Veterans Bring to Civilian Workplaces: A Prototype Toolkit for Helping Private-Sector Employers Understand the Nontechnical Skills Taught in the Military

If you aren’t familiar with a military occupation, you can find out more about it on COOL.

• If you know the Navy rating, designator, or collateral duty, go to the "Find" function on the side of every Navy COOL page to look up related credentials
• If you don’t know what military occupation might relate to your job opening, use the “Civilian Career Area” search on the "Find" menu to hone in on related military occupations
• The “Site Search” functionality at the top of every page can also help you locate information related to your needs

To find transitioning Service members or Veterans seeking civilian jobs, go to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veteran’s Employment Center.