Many military jobs have aspects of them that can earn a person credit in the civilian world. You can earn educational credit, for college or toward a certificate in civilian occupations. For years a person could serve in the military doing a job or occupation and at the end of their military career they would only have positive experience, and fond memories. Any sort of credit for their military service was unheard of, much less commonplace. Well that has changed.
Congress, the Department of Labor, Department of Defense, and the Senior Officials in the Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard have worked together to create the U.S. Military Apprenticeship Training program, or USMAP. It is a formalized training program that takes full advantage of their occupational military job. It allows and supports credit for education, in the form of college level credit, as well as job occupational credit that can be used in the civilian world. The Department of Labor awards a nationally recognized “Certificate of Completion,” to candidates that successfully complete the program.
The qualifications for the USMAPS program are simple: You have to possess a GED or high school degree, have all the required documentation completed, be serving in your primary job at your command, and your rating or job has to be on the approved apprenticeship program list. This may seem like a lot, but in actuality it just means you have to serve in a job that qualifies for the program, and have a high school diploma. You also have to be serving on active duty, and have time to complete the program of apprenticeship while still serving on active duty.
The USMAP program does not require any off duty hours and it can be used for up to one half of the on the job program training hours requirement in a civilian apprenticeship programs. Once you are involved in the USMAPS program you can even sometimes grandfather in other vocational military experience and receive credit for them.
The program of USMAP apprenticeship not only can earn you a Department of Labor certificate of completion, but it has gained acceptance on the part of civilian employers. Major employers all over the country view the mere participation in the program favorably; even employers overseas seek former military Servicemembers from this program.