Preparing for life after military service: Resources for Transitioning Service Members, Veterans, and Spouses By Tim Winter Transitioning out of the military can be daunting. There are so many significant decisions to be made, it can be extremely overwhelming. Such as, where are you going to live? What are you planning to do? Each year, more than 200,000 service members transition from military to civilian life. Understanding that service members may need assistance to plan for life after the military, Congress mandated that transitioning service members be required to participate in the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) prior to leaving the military. TAP is a cooperative effort between the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Labor’s (DOL) Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), Department of Education, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, Small Business Administration, and Office of Personnel Management. VETS administers DOL’s portion of the program. DOL TAP provides information, tools, and no-cost training to ensure transitioning service members, veterans, and their spouses, are prepared for a civilian career.
VETS provides a multitude of resources including Employment Fundamentals of Career Transition (EFCT), a one-day employment preparation workshop for transitioning service members. VETS also offers the Wounded Warrior and Caregiver Employment Workshop to help wounded, ill, or injured service members and their caregivers find the perfect job. Whether they’re looking for general employment preparation or career exploration and credentialing, there is a DOL workshop that can help. DOL TAP workshops can be found at www.TAPEvents.mil/courses. VETS also offers complementary employmentfocused training and services to assist veterans and their spouses. In 2021, more than 2,800 VETS’ staff, contractors, and grantees served over 370,000 transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses. Some of these resources include the Employment Navigator and Partnership Pilot (ENPP), Off-Base Transition Training (OBTT), and Transition Employment Assistance for Military Spouses and Caregivers (TEAMS). Employment Navigator and Partnership Pilot VETS designed this initiative to provide one-on-one assistance to transitioning service members and their spouses as a supplement to traditional DOL TAP workshops. Employment Navigators provide
www.hiringourheroes.org/2021-military-spouse-employment-summit-highlights/ www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WB/mib/WB-MilSpouse-factsheet.pdf 46
WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / APRIL 2022
