thedrifter
05-22-08, 06:35 AM
Apprenticeship program makes military job skills more marketable
5/23/2008 By Lance Cpl. Joseph A. Cabrera , III MEF
CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan — — The United Services Military Apprenticeship Program helps Marines, sailors and Coast Guardsmen make their military job experience more marketable to potential employers after the military.
Through the program, service members in trade related job fields, such as mechanics, electricians and carpenters can log their work and training hours to create a record of their experience. With enough work and training hours, they can earn a certificate of completion for the apprenticeship program from the Department of Labor.
The minimum amount of education and work experience needed for completion of the program varies by trade. The program’s educational requirements for completion can be a combination of different schools and are not limited to military occupational specialty schools.
A completion certificate shows an employer what military job experience the applicant has acquired and how it equates in civilian terms, according to Bob Stenard, Lifelong Learning Center supervisory guidance counselor.
“This could mean a lot of money to some people when they get out,” he said.
The degree to which the employer recognizes the certification varies by employer, trade unions and their locations, said Keena Morris, Lifelong Learning Center education service specialist.
Service members can also receive credit for time served in their respective fields prior to registration in the program, Morris said.
To inform service members of the apprenticeship program, learning center officials regularly conduct unit and individual briefs. Stenard said the best location to attend the brief is one of the Learning Resource Centers located on all Marine Corps camps on Okinawa. Qualified service members can register for the program during the brief.
Stenard suggests service members always attend a brief before enrolling. Those who enroll in the program without getting all the facts often make mistakes causing them to be dropped, he said.
For more information about the program visit https://usmap.cnet.navy.mil or visit the nearest Lifelong Learning Center.
Ellie
5/23/2008 By Lance Cpl. Joseph A. Cabrera , III MEF
CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan — — The United Services Military Apprenticeship Program helps Marines, sailors and Coast Guardsmen make their military job experience more marketable to potential employers after the military.
Through the program, service members in trade related job fields, such as mechanics, electricians and carpenters can log their work and training hours to create a record of their experience. With enough work and training hours, they can earn a certificate of completion for the apprenticeship program from the Department of Labor.
The minimum amount of education and work experience needed for completion of the program varies by trade. The program’s educational requirements for completion can be a combination of different schools and are not limited to military occupational specialty schools.
A completion certificate shows an employer what military job experience the applicant has acquired and how it equates in civilian terms, according to Bob Stenard, Lifelong Learning Center supervisory guidance counselor.
“This could mean a lot of money to some people when they get out,” he said.
The degree to which the employer recognizes the certification varies by employer, trade unions and their locations, said Keena Morris, Lifelong Learning Center education service specialist.
Service members can also receive credit for time served in their respective fields prior to registration in the program, Morris said.
To inform service members of the apprenticeship program, learning center officials regularly conduct unit and individual briefs. Stenard said the best location to attend the brief is one of the Learning Resource Centers located on all Marine Corps camps on Okinawa. Qualified service members can register for the program during the brief.
Stenard suggests service members always attend a brief before enrolling. Those who enroll in the program without getting all the facts often make mistakes causing them to be dropped, he said.
For more information about the program visit https://usmap.cnet.navy.mil or visit the nearest Lifelong Learning Center.
Ellie