If you enlist in the United States Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard there is a formal program to help get credit and Apprenticeship career skills. If you are assigned or choose a program that has apprenticeship capability, such as the building trades, there is a program that allows an individual to gain not only military training, but also at the same time to get apprenticeship goals and credit toward eventual civilian job skill satisfaction.
The program is called the United States Apprenticeship Military Program, and it is a well defined training program that allows active duty personnel in the Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or active duty Navy Servicemembers to gain civilian requirements for apprenticeship programs while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces. This program is an advantage because it gives the person the chance to learn and earn in a trade in the Military, to serve their country, but also a chance to have that Military Training be counted toward requirements for civilian licensure, and apprenticeship.
The program is jointly administered by the Military, and the U.S. Labor Department (D.O.L.) and allows Servicemembers to receive nationally recognized “Completion Certificates,” upon the completion of different elements of their military trade, earning civilian credit at the same time as they do their military required duty. The qualifications for the program are fairly simple:
-Be an Active Duty Marine Corps, Navy, or active duty Coast Guard Servicemember.
-Be working at your primary job, or trade, at your command.
-Be a high School graduate, or hold a valid G.E.D. at the time you start the program.
-Have all necessary documents for the program gathered together and at hand.
-Be serving in a MOS, or job billet designation that is serviced by the program.
-Have enough time left on Active Duty Military Service to complete the elements of the program.
This is a valuable program that does not require any off duty hours; you are able to get credit for the time in which you spend serving your country, but also gaining civilian credit and apprenticeship credit. As you move forward in your military job, and gain skills and time on the job, you are earning specific, defined Certificates of Completion that you can use toward a civilian career. Careers such as Carpentry, Welding, Metalwork, and other building and construction trades often are well suited and can be accessed by this program.