How to create a successful transitioning program

How to create a successful transitioning program that provides a “Solution that Fits.”

The divide between military trained and private sector mannerisms may be as vast as the Great Wall of China or more in line with the Berlin Wall that separated East and West Germany. The current Transition format is designed as an exit strategy that at times is like drinking water from a fire hose depending on how much prep you did before departing the service. This challenge is a path of uncertain projection that could lead to an excitement that grabs the soul and energizes the spirit if you embrace the journey. Can our service components guide a transformational development that prepares all its members with more tools to help craft a better prepared Marine, Airman, Sailor, Soldier or Coast Guardsman? The answer lies in developing a modularized scalable program suited to the development of human performance opportunities.

The current transition program starts too late; this process should start from the day you walk through the door. Develop their career path to proficiency as journeyman and craftsman regardless of their military specialty. The focus of helping bridge the gap starts in the counseling feedback's sessions and provides a 6, 12, 24, and 36 months pared and tailored scalable progression to attain more significant skill sets successfully. Place transition milestones in the pipeline progression to start recognizing recorded developed skills at the entry, mid, and senior level. Upon achieving those goals using this as another opportunity to introduce a new tool towards preparation for transformation. Introduction to a certification, any certification that helps in the performance of their duties such as project management, efficiency such as a lean program, system technology based, fitness certification the list goes on and on. With the introduction of this type of academic development, it starts to prepare the all-volunteer force with additional tools to market their brand to the next suitor.

Secondly, create a network of military and private networking mentors that help lead the path of progression through each building block opportunity. There are other building blocks that the military already has in place from their rank and corps centric professional military development schools and programs. Off-duty education programs, as well as service, connected enlisted to officer programs that help build their brand.

The last step in this journey the Capstone project would have a tailored peer program that would help the person move seamlessly from their uniform to the next step in their journey. Their plan would partner them with a peer track similar to their private sector aspirations. Culminating with a career track and some one on one instruction on how to traverse their career trajectory.

The body of service members already has many skills in leadership and management. They have shown a resiliency and mastery of doing more with less each year as the support for their operational needs continues to get smaller. They are masters of their domains it is just without the critical piece of paper that certifies their skills as being merited for consideration by a recruiter, hiring an agent or private sector employer. With this building block trajectory, it would not matter if they did one tour or were career service members, they would be introduced to some level of certified training and better prepared to compete for their next opportunity with the requisite credentials for competition.

As the old proverb stated “It takes a village to raise a child” in our community “It takes a community of trial by fire to develop our Marines, Airman, Sailors, Soldiers, and Coasties.”

Please share your views on this suggested direction.