Sometimes you may ask about what joining the Army may do for you? You may think that if you join, that you will not be able to convert your skills into something you can use on the outside, back in civilian life. Well there are other opportunities for people who sign up and joint the Army you might not have heard about.
PaYS Program. The Army took a long hard look at their training and decided that there were missed opportunities not being addressed. So they created a program to help people who are headed back into civilian life. The program is called the Partnership for Youth Success. It is a program of enlistment that a person signs up for when they first enlist in the Army.
When you first approach a recruiter, you can sign up for the PaYS program. You will select a partner from a long list of corporations and companies, and a job that you want to be qualified for after your Army Career. The recruiter will work with you to try and fit you as much as possible to training that will allow you to receive skills to qualify you for that job. This process is not perfect, the needs of the Army have to be addressed, and sometimes you may have to reconsider a different job, or make a priority list. Sometimes you may not be able to train or receive vocational training while in the Army that directly relates to the job you select.
However, as much as possible you can select real life training and schooling to prepare you for the civilian career you wish to have. The program of matching Army service people to companies is highly regarded in the private sector, the companies value the skills and talent that a pool of trained Army personnel represent.
During your enlistment you will select a job partner, and skill area. You will be given a document that lays out in detail the PaYS program, its conditions, and the responsibility of both the government to you, and your responsibility under the program. As you near the end of your military enlistment, you will be given a chance to contact your job partner company to arrange and coordinate an interview.
The PaYS program has already places thousands of successful prior service Army people into jobs that they now can enjoy and pursue in the private sector. While not a perfect system, it does allow some planning and career coordination for the young person wanting to pursue a specific job after enlistment. It also allows for peace of mind, knowing that there is a specific goal or issue that you are working toward attaining in the career field.