If you or your spouse have plans on transitioning from military to civilian employment, there is a government grant for training. The US. Department of Labor is issuing $2.6 million to the Texas Workforce Commission to provide workforce training services for military families and individuals to help them adapt to civilian life and find success in their careers after the military.
The training services will be available at Fort Hood and in Bell, Coryell, Hamilton, Lampasas, Milam, Mills, and San Saba counties. The award is funded by the National Dislocated Workers Grant, which released $8,032,410 nationwide to train military personnel and their spouses. Similar grants have been awarded in Maryland and Washington.
The funds will be administered by the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Association to help over one thousand dislocated service members and their spouses at Fort Hood and in nearby counties where demand for services exceeds the capacity of state and local resources. Similar grants have been awarded in Maryland and Washington.
Every year 200,000 military workers leave the armed forces.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, military personnel face many challenges when returning to civilian life. Some may have never applied to a civilian job due to enrolling in the military straight out of high school. Skills such as interviewing, resume writing, and creating a structured lifestyle may be challenging for some service personnel separating from military service.
“There were a great deal of challenges,” said Norman Barrett, who served in the Air Force as an E-five staff sergeant. “The biggest issue was applying my military skill sets to work with civilian job requirements. Many companies told me I had no work experience.”
Barrett, who entered the Air Force at nineteen, says he decided to go back to school after serving to gain the experience he needed to become a music producer.
Those serving in the National Guard or the Reserves may find themselves behind a desk in as little as three days after leaving the combat zone, which can be emotionally jarring.
There are also social challenges, like dealing with the abundance of choices in the civilian world, getting used to a workplace setting, and navigating the healthcare system and Veterans Affairs.
LaShay, who spent thirteen years serving in the Navy and Air Force, says she went into the military at seventeen, so coming out, she had to find a job and navigate adult life. “I have an associate and bachelor’s degree, yet I’m not using either. Most employers say I don’t have the experience their looking for.”
As for being able to adjust to social life outside of the military, LaShay says, “I’ve always been an introvert but it was somewhat hard [to bond with people].” In the military, there is collaborative camaraderie as opposed to civilian workplaces being competitive.
