RICHMOND, Va. — There are many important skills for veterans to learn as they serve their country. But Navy veteran Juan Cruz will be the first to tell you that not all of these skills transfer seamlessly to the civilian lifestyle.
“Everything I did in the military was law-related: weapon assembly, disassembly, aircraft maintenance, munitions production, small explosives handling,” Cruz explained. “You can imagine trying to translate that into a skill that employers value.”
Cruz, who served eight and a half years in the Navy, said the transition from active duty to civilian life was an uphill battle and he feared he would have to fight it alone.
“It was actually my biggest concern to jump into the civilian world without any experience in the field I wanted to work in,” Cruz said. “There was a lot on my mind about how I was going to support my family going forward.”
Fortunately, Cruz says a program offered through the Department of Defense helped him build a career in information technology.
“Currently, I’m a junior Linux system administrator,” Cruz says. “I’m trying to establish a general knowledge of all areas of IT, but right now I’m monitoring systems, configuring hardware, and configuring software.”
The program that helped Cruz and other veterans is called NPower SkillBridge.
Mr. Cruz and more than 50 fellow students graduated from the program at the Virginia War Memorial in 2023.
SkillBridge is one of the many programs associated with NPower, specifically training programs in the field of IT and cyber security.
Active-duty military members undergo a rigorous 10-week cyber boot camp that prepares them for four or more of the industry’s most sought-after certifications.
From there, the program’s executive director, Col. Christopher Sterling, said assistance will be provided to help SkillBridge students market their resumes to companies in need of people with cyber skills.
Stirling said more than 70 other service members leaving the military will do the same Wednesday.
“N-Power is a nonprofit organization that creates paths to economic prosperity for young people and military personnel,” Sterling said. “SkillBridge is a Department of Defense program that allows you to apprentice, intern, or train during your final six months of active duty.” Train for your future career. ”
Stirling said active-duty service members are too often left with no military to support their most basic needs after their service ends.
“It can be anxiety-inducing,” Stirling explained, “less pay, less housing benefit, less insurance, less health insurance. And without a job or profession, it can be very stressful.” It’s a busy time of year, so we’ll be able to cover them.”
“The transition process is something that the Department of Defense has been working on very seriously for a long time,” Sterling said. “I think this program addresses the anxiety part, and in some ways it also addresses the larger transitional mental health part.”
Sterling said each branch of the military has its own take on the Skillbridge program with several focuses, including auto mechanics, marketing, city managers and more.
He believes early service members can have a smoother transition and start thinking about life after military service, especially if they take advantage of programs like SkillBridge.
The program is in place in 11 states, including Virginia, which launched SkillBridge in 2023, Sterling said. Since then, a further 220 students have been trained. NPower serves about 3,000 people annually across the country, he added.
“We also figured out how to include people from overseas locations like Germany, Japan, Bahrain and Hawaii,” Stirling said. “While we are seriously focused on making this a truly global program, our current roots are at Joint Base Myers-Henderson Hall and Norfolk, Virginia.”
Like Mr. Cruise, Navy veteran Alexander Gibson is pursuing a master’s degree and has a successful career managing radio frequencies.
“Being able to earn these certifications and apply them directly to my new role ultimately represents the best of both worlds, from my cybersecurity journey to my previous experience as a Navy veteran. “I did,” Gibson said.
“This is another way to set yourself up for success so that when your Pentagon paycheck ends, your civilian paycheck begins. You can go from defending the country to defending the network. is a natural move,” Sterling said.
Although the SkillBridge program is specific to active duty, Sterling said veterans and even spouses of veterans who want to pursue technology-related careers can take advantage of similar programs offered through NPower. To learn more about these efforts, visit NPower.org.
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