Transitioning from military service to civilian life is a significant step for every soldier. Recognizing this, the U.S. Army provides invaluable resources like the Soldier For Life – Transition Assistance Program (SFL-TAP), which includes the highly effective Sfl Tap Career Skills Program. This program is designed to equip transitioning service members with the necessary skills and experience to excel in today’s competitive job market. The sfl tap career skills program offers a unique pathway for soldiers to gain civilian employment skills while still receiving their military pay and benefits.
What is the SFL-TAP Career Skills Program?
The sfl tap career skills program, often referred to as CSP, is a comprehensive initiative under the SFL-TAP umbrella. It offers transitioning soldiers the opportunity to participate in various civilian skill-building activities. These include employment skills training, on-the-job training, pre-apprenticeships, and internships. The primary goal of the sfl tap career skills program is to provide soldiers with a high probability of securing employment in high-demand and highly-skilled civilian jobs after their service concludes. As Walt Harris, Transition Services Manager at Fort Leonard Wood’s Transition Assistance Program, explains, this program allows soldiers to “intern with industry across the United States to help them find employment and be able to provide for their families after transitioning from the Army.”
Sgt. 1st Class Curt Johnson participating in the Career Skills Program internship, gaining civilian contracting experience.
The remarkable success of the sfl tap career skills program is evident in its high hire rate. At Fort Leonard Wood, for example, the hire rate for service members completing the CSP is currently at an impressive 85 percent. This highlights the program’s effectiveness in bridging the gap between military skills and civilian career requirements. Crucially, while participating in the sfl tap career skills program, service members continue to receive their regular Army pay and allowances, alleviating financial concerns during this crucial transition period. The program simply requests that industry partners provide valuable skills training and practical experience to the participating soldiers.
How to Participate in the SFL-TAP Career Skills Program
Soldiers can begin their journey with the sfl tap career skills program up to 180 days before their Expiration-Term of Service (ETS). The program boasts an extensive network of 234 established internship opportunities across diverse career fields and skill sets. However, the sfl tap career skills program also encourages and supports individual initiative. Service members are empowered to identify organizations of interest and propose their own internship opportunities. As long as the organization’s Human Resources department is willing to sponsor the service member as an intern, the program can accommodate personalized internship arrangements, regardless of location.
This flexibility ensures that the sfl tap career skills program can cater to a wide range of career aspirations and individual needs. Whether a soldier is interested in technology, healthcare, manufacturing, or any other sector, the program strives to create pathways for them to gain relevant civilian work experience.
Real-World Benefits: Sgt. 1st Class Curt Johnson’s CSP Experience
Sgt. 1st Class Curt Johnson, a retiring Army Engineer and former small group leader at the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence NCO Academy, exemplifies the benefits of the sfl tap career skills program. As he prepared for his retirement, Johnson enrolled in the CSP and secured an internship with Mission and Installation Contracting Command-Fort Leonard Wood. He chose contracting due to its emphasis on continuous learning and professional development, aligning with his career goals.
Johnson emphasizes that the sfl tap career skills program provides a valuable opportunity to adapt to the nuances of civilian work environments. “The environment, the climate, culture, it’s all different,” Johnson noted. “There’s just a different structure and way of doing things. Being able to get in here early and start learning the mannerisms, the vocabulary, has been helpful.” This acclimatization period is crucial for soldiers transitioning from the structured military environment to the often less hierarchical and differently paced civilian workplace.
Johnson also highlights the inherent strengths that military personnel bring to civilian roles. “Progressing toward a better end state — that’s your military mindset,” he explained. “If a corporation is looking for an individual to progress a company, an organization, a task, a goal — these are very goal-orientated people, who can achieve said task and won’t hesitate to reach out and find the best possible way to do it.” This goal-oriented approach, combined with discipline and leadership skills honed in the military, makes veterans highly valuable assets to civilian employers.
Rick Switzer, Johnson’s colleague at MICC-Fort Leonard Wood, attests to Johnson’s positive impact, stating that he “epitomizes the can-do attitude that all senior NCOs should have.” He further noted Johnson’s ability to excel in a new field, bringing “knowledge and thinking outside the box” to the organization, even without prior contracting experience.
Additional Resources: SkillBridge and Heroes Connect
While the sfl tap career skills program offers substantial opportunities, the Army and Department of Defense provide additional resources to support transitioning service members. SkillBridge, a Department of Defense program, offers even more diverse internship and training opportunities. Fort Leonard Wood’s TAP experts can assist soldiers in exploring and accessing SkillBridge programs if the sfl tap career skills program doesn’t perfectly align with their needs.
For soldiers planning to remain in Missouri, Heroes Connect, a state-level initiative, provides a database of over 13,000 veteran-friendly, Missouri-based employers actively seeking to hire transitioning service members. This partnership between the TAP team and Missouri workforce development experts further strengthens the support network available to soldiers.
Financial Assistance During Transition
Financial stability is a common concern for transitioning soldiers. Army Emergency Relief (AER) collaborates with TAP to offer financial grants to soldiers participating in the sfl tap career skills program. Soldiers completing a CSP internship within 50 miles of Fort Leonard Wood can receive a $500 grant, while those interning further than 50 miles can receive $1,000. This financial assistance can help offset expenses associated with internships and further ease the transition process.
Conclusion: Seize the Opportunity with SFL-TAP Career Skills Program
The sfl tap career skills program is an exceptional resource for transitioning soldiers seeking to build successful civilian careers. By providing valuable skills training, practical experience, and continued financial support, the program significantly enhances soldiers’ employability and sets them on a path to long-term success. As Sgt. 1st Class Johnson advises, “Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone… It’s probably your greatest weakness because you don’t know how far you can excel outside of it if you never step out.” Transitioning service members are encouraged to contact their local Transition Assistance Program office at Fort Leonard Wood (573.596.0719) or their installation’s equivalent to explore the sfl tap career skills program and unlock their full post-army potential.
