How SkillBridge Works

A clear path from military experience to civilian opportunity.

What is SkillBridge, in plain terms?

It’s a Department of Defense program that lets service members spend up to their last 180 days of active duty training with a civilian employer. Real work, real skills, before they separate — a head start on civilian life instead of a leap into it.

Two things to know upfront: it’s service-member initiated, and the chain of command has to approve it. For the official program details, start at the official DoD SkillBridge site.

The five ways training can look

No two SkillBridge opportunities are identical. Depending on the employer and the approved program, training takes one of five forms — on-the-job training, employment skills training, internships, pre apprenticeships, or apprenticeships. The right format depends on the role, not the other way around.

01 On-the-Job Training

hands-on training at a worksite focused on skills for a specific role.

02 Employment Skills Training

Training or education building broad employment competencies and industry-specific skills

03 Internships

Entry-level work experiences giving familiarity with a civilian career or industry.

04 Pre-Apprenticeships

Programs introducing service members to a trade and preparing them to enter a registered apprenticeship

05 Apprenticeships

structured work and training programs building proficiency in a trade or profession and leading to employment.

Who does what — and why we’re specific about it

Everyone in this process has their own lane, and nobody’s lane replaces anyone else’s

HYRE HARPER Co.: Depending on the engagement, can support program development, recruiting, coordination, and related services.
Participating Employer: Remains responsible for its applicable organizational, workplace, supervision, training, and employment responsibilities.
Service Member: Participation is voluntary and service-member initiated, and the service member must receive the required approvals.
SkillBridge Program / Military: SkillBridge administrators evaluate participating organizations against program requirements, while military command approval remains a separate process.

HYRE HARPER Co

Depending on the engagement, HYRE HARPER Co. can support program development, recruiting, coordination, and related services.

Participating Employer

The employer remains responsible for its applicable organizational, workplace, supervision, training, and employment responsibilities

Service Member

Participation is voluntary and service-member initiated, and the service member must receive the required approvals

SkillBridge Program / Military

SkillBridge administrators evaluate participating organizations against program requirements, while military command approval remains a separate process.

If you’re an employer, start here

Plenty of companies want to hire transitioning service members. Most take one look at what’s involved — the application, the training plan, the documentation, the coordination — and stall. That’s the gap we fill.

Many organizations may be interested in hiring transitioning service members but are not sure where to start. SkillBridge specifically recognizes a third-party provider, also called an intermediary, as an umbrella organization that manages coordination of SkillBridge for multiple employers or training providers. The program’s application distinguishes third-party providers from someone who simply completes an application for another employer. It identifies several third-party models, including for profit fee-for-service providers that assist organizations with the SkillBridge process and/or support recruitment, placement, and marketing to identify service members for SkillBridge opportunities. That’s where HYRE HARPER Co. comes in.

HYRE HARPER Co.’s service model can include: employer onboarding and application support; training-plan and program-documentation development; workforce and program design; candidate marketing and recruiting; service-member candidate sourcing and screening; interview coordination; program administration; reporting and record support; ongoing talent-acquisition support.

We can help you explore:

Potential SkillBridge career pathways
Training-program structure
Employer application support
Training-plan development
Candidate recruiting and engagement
Program coordination and administration
Transition-to-employment strategy

Participation and individual service-member placement remain subject to applicable SkillBridge and military requirements. HYRE HARPER Co. is not a government authority and does not guarantee SkillBridge approval, command approval, candidate placement, or employment.