If you are a veteran looking for a new career, one opportunity available to you is completing a job training program. Various training programs exist in several different industries that lead to full-time employment.
With so many job training courses for veterans available throughout the United States, you are sure to find a program to suit your interests, experience or skillset.
Find a job utilizing the skills you learned during your time in service or you may prefer to start completely from scratch and learn new skills.
In the following sections, discover training programs available for veterans. Pursue a training opportunity to work in job sectors like business management, customer service excellence or software development.
If you do not know which career path you want to follow, several organizations and agencies can help you find out what type of job training program suits you. Read this helpful overview to learn more.
Learn About Onward to Opportunity
Formerly known as the Veterans Career Transition Program, this free career skills training program provides veterans, service members, transitioning service members and their spouses with training to secure a future career.
Onward to Opportunity is a collaboration between Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Schultz Family Foundation. Known as O2O for short, the Onward to Opportunity program partners with many companies in the private sector that train and hire military personnel and their spouses.
The program has various on-base installations. Receive training assistance from the online portion of the O2O program.
The first step is to complete a personal assessment with O2O. This identifies a specific training plan tailored to your career interests and military and non-military skills and experience. You are then placed on an appropriate course. Undertake the training in a physical classroom or through O2O’s web-based training platform.
Over 20 courses are available, which include Business Management, Customer Service Excellence and Information Technology. These courses give you the necessary training to learn the appropriate skills and secure a job in your chosen industry.
Job opportunities are available to veterans, service members and their spouses who successfully complete their selected courses. At present, the Onward to Opportunity program partners with 850 employers who welcome former military personnel and their spouses.
What is Code Platoon?
This nonprofit organization offers a 14-week training program in software development. The program is for veterans only. Whether you are completely new to software development or you already possess some skills, this program teaches you all you must know to start your career as a developer.
The demand for software developers is growing quickly in the United States, so this is often a lucrative career to get involved with when you are looking for a new path to follow.
If you are accepted on a Code Platoon course, you receive a scholarship of up to $10,500 to cover course fees.
The course is hard work, so do not enter it lightly. You are rigorously trained by professional developers to learn full stack coding.
You must spend between 12 and 14 hours every day for six or seven days a week to successfully complete this training program.
The time involves lectures and self-study time to learn coding. From industry practices to programming languages, this course covers everything you must know to be a full-stack developer.
Attend the training course in person in Chicago if this is an option for you within your specific schedule.
The in-person course is GI Bill approved. Alternatively, you have the option of attending classes remotely. The online course involves you attending real-time classroom sessions, team projects and assignments.
If you cannot attend either the in-person course or the remote course, you can still work your way through the whole curriculum for free with the Self-Paced Program. This allows you to earn how to code and develop software within a flexible time structure.
In addition, if you are completely new to software development, Code Platoon offers a free Intro to Coding Program to help you get started.
Learn About the CCS Learning Academy
If you want to pursue a career in Microsoft Business Intelligence, enroll in a six-week training program through the CSS Learning Academy, which is a division of CSS Global Tech.
This program is specifically for veterans. The program follows a recognized training model including:
- Coursework.
- Scenario-based learning from some of the top companies in the industry.
- Opportunities to work with actual clients on real projects.
You engage with a classroom-based training course and a personalized coaching course that involves improving your interpersonal skills and interview techniques to better prepare you for securing a career. CSS Learning Academy is committed to finding job placements for successful graduates.
The academy has a strong track record of finding veteran graduates work in Microsoft Business Intelligence jobs. Placements include Fortune 500 companies and the government.
Learn About Other Job Training Opportunities
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs helps you find job training opportunities. One great tool offered by the VA is CareerScope Assessment. This online tool measures your skillset and interests to find the right career path for you. It then recommends training programs to help you pursue your chosen career.
CareerScope is only available to veterans, service members and dependents who are currently receiving VA education benefits.
If you want to start your own business, you have the opportunity of enrolling in a VA-approved entrepreneurship training program offered by the Small Business Association. You are eligible for this training program if you qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, The Montgomery GI Bill or The Veterans’ Educational Assistance Program.
To apply, contact your local VA liaison for small businesses. Attend regular events and conferences to find out more information.
Use other resources for finding job training to ensure you are searching through all available options.
CareerOneStop offers many training opportunities to veterans through its online Veteran and Military Transition Center. In addition, find job training opportunities and apprenticeships through the United States Department of Labor.