Good afternoon everyone.
My name is Doctor Tisha Quarrels and I am the program initiatives manager
for the military civilian transition office, within the Strategic Plans
and Initiatives Division.
I want to welcome you here today, to discuss the DoD skill Bridge program
and how your organization can become a part of this transformative initiative.
But before we get started, I do want to lay a few ground rules.
So we do anticipate a large audience.
So we're not going to be able to use a raise hand feature.
instead we're going to use the chat feature.
So if you have a question, please just drop it in the chat throughout.
If it's something simple, someone from our team will be able to, respond quickly.
If not, we'll save that question for the Q&A session
session that we're going to have, at the end of the presentation.
If we do not have a chance to get to your question, that's not a problem.
You can go to our website and I'll show you where, in a few
and under contact us and submit your question.
Provide as many details as possible.
So that way we can give you a very specific answer in response.
Next slide please.
So today we aim to provide you with an understanding
of the Skill Bridge program and guide you through the application process.
So with that in mind, I do want to clarify who this session is and is not for.
So today's session is designed for employers who are new to this program
and are interested in submitting an application for the first time.
So it's not intended to answer specific questions
for applications of those who already submitted
and are waiting for their application to be approved.
This is not intended to address any questions for existing partners.
This is specifically for those who are trying to get
started with the skill bridge program.
And so with that in mind, we're going to,
talk a little bit about the program, background
and give you some specifics in terms of some key considerations to keep in mind
as you're thinking through how you want to develop your program.
And then also we're going to talk about,
some specific of the new MOU that will become in effect July 15th.
some things to to know in there.
And then we'll also talk about the application process
and the new enrollment periods, that we have just instituted.
And so it's our hope
that by the end, you'll have a better understanding of the program and a better
understanding of how your organization can become a part of the program.
Next slide, please.
So, as you know,
the skill bridge program is a part of DoD's
steadfast commitment to fostering meaningful career development
opportunities for service members and ensuring
that they have a smooth transition to civilian employment.
So it's really about adding to the professional skills and experiences
of our transitioning military personnel so that they're prepared to leverage
their unique backgrounds and civilian workforce.
So the program,
has been in existence, for a little while,
but it was formalized, recently, and we introduced,
a department wide
memorandum of understanding.
And this memorandum of understanding serves
as, an agreement between DoD and the partner.
And it outlines the responsibilities, for both parties and the expectations
and how we can really execute a collaborative effort
to successfully deliver the program.
And like I mentioned, we'll go over some specifics about what's in that MOU
a little bit later, but that's one of the,
key changes, in the program.
also, the program is growing in, popularity,
both in terms of the number of service members
that we have participating as well as the, number of partners that we have.
So we started with 4600 service members,
and we've grown to over 22,000, participating each year.
And then in terms of partners, we currently have over
4800 partners that are participating in the program.
Next slide please.
So continuing with our 101,
let's talk a little bit more about the specifics of the program.
some of the processes and implementation.
So we talked about the aim of the program
is to provide our transitioning service members,
those skills that they need, in order to be successful in civilian employment.
and it's because we recognize that the transition from military service
to civilian employment can be challenging at times.
And so our goal with this program is to ensure that service members,
are prepared, yes, but also competitively positioned for post military careers.
So the program is accessible to service members
who are within the last 180 days, before separation from military service.
So the last six months, and this period
enables service members to, gain that experience they need
while still being actively supported by their service.
So while they are still on active duty, they are receiving their full salary
and benefits.
And so, as employers, you're not able
to pay service members while they're in the skill bridge program.
Now, if you offer employment subsequent to the end of the skill bridge program,
that's when the salary and benefits would begin.
But while they're under this Gil Bridge umbrella,
the their respective military service is paying for their salary.
One key aspect of the program
approval process is their approval process for service members.
So there's a two part approval.
Service members have to be approved and partners have to be approved
for service members.
They have to be approved to participate.
from their commander in their chain of command
and approval is not necessarily automatic.
Each service has specific criteria
for approval and for the length that they're able to participate.
So for some services, service members are able to participate up to 180 days.
For some services, it depends on the service members rank on how long
they'll be able to to participate, and that's closer to 90 to 120 days.
So on our website under resources, we have links to
all of the different services policies so that you can understand
service members, depending on their branch of service
and their rank may have different amounts of time.
They're approved to be able to participate in the program.
In terms of our partner participation,
DoD rigorously vets and approves all skill bridge partners.
And so this process ensures that the partner organization
is not only reliable and reputable, reputable, but also that
they provide meaningful opportunities that align with the program's intent.
And these approved partners are all listed on the DoD website,
and this is the primary way that service members
are going to learn more information about your, opportunities.
and so, once a partner is approved,
they receive, fully executed MoU.
and again, that is the document
that outlines the terms and conditions of the partnership.
Next slide please.
So one thing that is important to keep in mind
is that this Gilbert program is a training program at its core.
And so the focus should be on helping service members learn new skills
that will bridge their military experience to civilian occupations and employment.
And so your program should provide a clear pathway
and a high probability of employment upon completion.
Moreover, it should be at no cost to the service member.
removing financial barriers.
think of it this way.
When was the last time you were applying for a job?
And there were significant out-of-pocket costs
that you were responsible for as a condition of that new job?
So the goal here is to facilitate service members access to opportunities
that will ease their transition.
And so if you're primarily a training provider,
where there's a direct cost to the service members
that are not able to be covered by the service members GI Bill,
then you may want to consider other programs
that DoD has, such as the credentialing opportunities
online or the military Tuition Assistance program.
And so if you are, an approved provider by VA,
to, for the service member to use their GI Bill with you,
then that is the only situation where,
any funding, can be had for this program.
But other than that, no direct cost to the service.
Member.
And so, because this is a training program at its core, it's important
for you to consider the type of training that you plan to offer.
And we'll we'll list the type of,
programs here in just a minute.
But think about,
the opportunities that you have available in your organization,
as well as the resources to best position to understand whether or not,
you plan to provide, on the job training,
an internship or pre apprenticeship, or an apprenticeship,
for service members.
some other things to
consider is during their participation,
the service member does remain on active duty.
And so this implies that they are not employees of your organization,
and they should not be viewed as free labor.
they cannot receive pay or compensation from you,
but what they are receiving from you is very valuable.
And it's the skill acquisition.
so as they are performing functions at your organization, they're also gaining
new skills that will make them competitive in the job market.
The training, cannot exceed 40 hours per week.
and the training cannot cause a conflict of interest.
So in terms of conflict of interest, we think about the service members
service commitments because they're still on active duty.
and those service commitments can't be compromised in any way.
For example, the use of cannabis products is,
legal in 38 states in the U.S.
and, for service members.
The use of the use, the distribution, the sale, manufacturing
of cannabis products for them to participate in that it's still illegal.
and not allowed according to the Uniform Code in military justice.
So a service member would not be able
to participate in,
any opportunity that was related to, the production
or the sale of cannabis so they wouldn't be able to be an, operations
manager at, dispensary, for example.
Also, the well-being of our service members is top priority.
And so any training programs you're not for service member
at risk physically, emotionally or professionally.
and so despite their participation in this Gilbert program
and being on site with you, as an employer, during the training,
they still, again, are accountable to their chain of command
and their military service.
And so that dual accountability has to be upheld.
And so in terms of safety, we think about
service members not being able to participate in opportunities
that are going to put them in unpredictable, situations.
So for example, for firefighters and for law enforcement personnel,
typically, for this Gilbert program, they would be participating in academy
training or participating in training,
rotating through different departments, within the organization.
They would not be responding to fighting live fires outside
of a controlled training environment, and they wouldn't be using firearms.
within live
law enforcement situations, outside of a controlled training environment.
Understanding and a hearing.
some of these, considerations is, very important.
And becoming a successful skill rich partner.
So by doing so, your organization can create meaningful,
productive, and safe opportunities for our transitioning service members.
Next slide please.
So let's walk into the new MOU requirements,
that were announced, on our website I believe, last week.
so the the document is online
for you to be able to view and I'll show you where in just a minute.
but I did want to point out a few things.
that are in the, the new MOU.
So one of the things that we're going to ask for you to submit
with your application is, your business documents
that verify that you are,
in good standing with your state approving agency,
and then also that you've been in business for at least three years.
Also, or when we look at your application,
we're going to be looking that you're not submitting opportunities
that are commissioned only commission based only.
So if you have an opportunity,
it has to lead to a salaried position,
not lead to a commission only based, position.
Also, you have to ensure that
you're offering full time positions.
and you're offering skill bridge internships, that are equal.
So for instance, if you, have only two
jobs open, you're only going to bring in two skill
bridge, interns to be able to fill those, two positions.
You wouldn't be, bringing in 30 interns, and there is only one available position.
on the other side,
also, you would agree to be
offering one of the types of training programs.
So either that's on the job training, employment skills training,
pre offering a pre apprenticeship, an apprenticeship or an internship.
And so what you decide is really,
up to your organization and the position.
and if you are new to starting
apprenticeships, we can point you to some Department of Labor resources
that, is designed to help employers either develop pre apprenticeships
that lead to advanced standing and registered apprenticeships or,
to just, develop a, a fully developed registered apprenticeship
with the Department of Education. I'm sorry, with the Department of Labor.
Next slide please.
Okay.
Also for the program,
you have to accept at least, minimum number of skill
bridge candidates annually based on organizational size.
So if you're a small business with less than 200 employees,
we expect for you to,
accept at least one skill bridge candidate per year.
Right.
And, if you're a large business,
with over a thousand employees, we expect for you to accept
a minimum of five, skill bridge candidates per year.
and again, this information is detailed in the in the actual MOU.
Next slide please.
Some other things to consider.
is we did add some salary requirements.
So in addition to a position not being able to be commission only,
the salary has to be at least
52,000 a year or $25 an hour or more.
and again, lead to a full time position.
so there are some exceptions
to that 52,000 and they are for public service positions.
So state governments, local governments, federal government,
positions such as teachers, police officers, firefighters,
all of those
positions, for you know, civil agencies are
waived to meet that salary requirement.
But all other,
all other organizations, must offer opportunities
that are at least 52,000 a year or $25 an hour or more and full time.
And, when we say high probability of employment,
we're specifically saying that at least 75% or higher,
of the service members,
are, hired
after they complete the, skill bridge internship
with at least 85% of the service members
that successfully complete your skill bridge internship receiving an offer.
So at least 85% of the people that successfully complete your program
are offered a job, and at least 75% of those people are actually hired.
Next slide, please.
Okay.
So, we talked about the different types of programs on the on the job training,
employment skills, pre apprenticeship, apprenticeship and internships.
So in offering these they need to be directly linked
to a civilian occupation, full time civilian occupation
and the training that you provide needs to be able to improve competency levels or
knowledge skills and abilities of service members for that particular job.
it needs to be able to fill,
fill skills gaps, for successful performance.
So know that service members coming to you already possess skills,
and you're looking to provide experiences that will fill those, gaps
that they didn't get for military service that would be vital for,
a civilian career. And again,
designed to
enhance the skills that they have in the military.
Also, if you're offering, virtual or remote opportunity,
that is allowed in the program, we actually have several.
The only caveat with that is at least 50% of the training needs to be live.
And person led or, either
hybrid with, in-person session.
So the big thing is here.
No virtual asynchrony ness opportunities only.
So if the service member doesn't have to,
meet with someone at least 50% of the time
and they're,
on their own for most of the, opportunity,
then that really wouldn't qualify.
We're really looking for opportunities that will fully engage
service members in a full time, 40 hour work week.
And so at least 50% of that time, needs to be synchronous.
Also, you're allowed to screen and select
candidates for participation, based off of their interests.
And so when service members contact you, it is the, employer's responsibility
to, screen those candidates or whether you want to have service
members complete an application and go through an interview process
or complete any type of testing, that is all,
the employer's responsibility, the, service, when they are saying,
service member is approved to participate,
they're saying that they met all of the service specific requirements,
and are eligible to participate in the program,
but then it's up to the employer to actually find candidates
that are actually a good fit for, your opportunity.
And then,
the final thing that I wanted to mention here is that,
on, an as needed
basis, I was going to ask you for outcome data on the salary
and the hire and retention rates, and employment offers.
for, for your particular program.
So, before you start a program, we need to identify in the beginning
on the application who is going to be that person responsible.
for the general program management of your school bridge program.
So who's the person that's going to be, responsible for reporting back to DoD
the outcomes of how many interns you brought in.
How many of them were offered employment?
How many of them completed the program?
How many, actually were hired and their salaries, when they were hired?
so those are just some things to keep in mind.
Next slide please.
So, we are
implementing a new, enrollment period for taking in new partners.
and this is so that we can better serve, our,
our partners, through the application and approval process.
So the deadline for open enrollment for applications is July 15th.
So if you, are interested in becoming a partner,
it's important for you to go ahead and apply
and to submit your application by July 15th.
and so, in
the fall, we will have an enrollment
period that begins October 1st and go through December 1st,
where we will be taking applications from new partners.
And then again in the spring, we'll have another enrollment period
from February 1st to April 1st, where we'll be, taking in new partners.
We will
also implement the new MOU that's online right now
that will go into effect July 15th.
So, when you apply to become a new partner,
you will be applying under the new MOU
and the new guidelines that I just mentioned.
Next slide please.
Okay.
So we're going to talk about the more practical aspects of becoming a partner.
So what do you need to do.
the first thing you need to do is thoroughly review all the information
that's available on the website.
And I'm going to point you to exactly where you need to go on the website.
you're going to need to, create a profile.
And then once you create that profile
and click submit, you're going to receive an automated email
with the unique link to an application for your organization.
It's important that you check your junk in your spam folder,
because you should receive this within five minutes.
And if you haven't received it after ten minutes
and you've checked all your folders, please
reach out to us because then something and the automation didn't go through.
But this is an automated link.
And that application, expires after 30 days.
But, like I mentioned, we have until the 15th to, be able to submit
for this enrollment period.
And so,
once you complete your application and submit it,
you're actually going to, have a couple of things with it.
So within the application, you're going to have a training plan.
And that training plan outlines all of the things that the service member
is going to be doing while they are, in your program.
So if there's a training aspect to the program, we're going to ask
you specifically, some things such as a time breakdown.
So either by week or by month.
what is the service member going to be learning or spending their time doing?
And who's responsible?
Who's that person
responsible training, that service member and what their qualifications are.
And so all of that is going to be included at the end of the application.
Also in that email that you get with the application
link, we're going to ask you about those documents,
and that is those documents,
that say from your US state approving agency
that say, that your business is in good standing
and that you've been in existence for at least three years and it's
going to look different, depending on, your state.
So it's important for you to go to your state
approving agency, to get that business record from their website and submit it,
along with your applications, according to the directions in that email.
And so once we receive all of your documents,
that application and the business documents,
I did want to note if you are a nonprofit
organization, a government organization, or,
not for profit, school, then you're exempt from business documents.
These are only for for profit entities.
so once we receive all of your application materials,
DoD is going to review at
several levels your, your packet
and DoD may reach out to you to seek clarification.
so be prepared, for, email contents
that may ask for additional information or additional clarification.
and understand that approval is not guaranteed.
We're looking for opportunities that are, aligned with,
the objectives of the program
and that are going to adhere to the requirements of the MoU.
And so
this whole process takes between 30, to 60 days.
the longer end is when we don't have everything
or if the application is incomplete, usually there's elements
missing from the training plan.
So as long as you fully answer all of the questions and the application
and you submit your business documents, you're closer to,
the shorter time frame, closer to 30 days for, review and approval.
And again, once you are approved,
your organization is going to receive an MOU to sign.
And, the person with signatory authority
on behalf of your organization needs to be the one to sign the document.
And so we're going to ask you who that person is during the application process.
Because once it's approved at the second level, that person
is going to be emailed a copy of the MoU to sign.
And once that person signs the MOU, it comes back to DoD
for a final level of review and, final signature and approval.
Now, once you
have that approved MoU, given to you via
a digital copy, you're going to get a couple of things.
Along with that, you're going to receive access
to our content management system or CMS system,
and that access is going to allow you to be able to, alter your,
opportunities that you have online or if you want to submit new opportunities.
So say you offer, your, project manager
position, but you want to add, a cyber security analyst.
You can, you don't have to go back through the whole application
process again through the CMS system, you can, submit new opportunities
that you want to add to your skill bridge program.
Next slide please.
So when you get to the homepage of the website,
there's two places that you can get to the industry partner information.
So on the banner where it says become a partner in the red
and the red box, you can click there or you can select
members and partners
and you'll see, a link for industry partners.
under there. Next slide please.
When you select either of those two it's going to take you here to the Get
Starting tool toolkit for our industry partners.
And you're going to have the elements of a training plan.
So it's going to explain to you what we're looking for in the training plan.
It's going to give you a preview of the application.
So before you get started you know what kind of information
that you need to gather.
And then also here you're going to find a copy of the MOU.
if your organization requires the MoU to be legally reviewed,
either by your HR department or your legal team, it's a good idea.
Before you start the application process to go ahead and have them review that MOU
that's online, so that by the time their application,
reaches the stage in their approval process
where the MoU is sent to, who's going to sign it for your organization,
they already have their approval.
They need to sign the organ to sign the, the MOU.
Next slide please.
Again, this is just reiterating, those links for where
that training, plan is and where that preview of the application is.
And, the more detailed and specific that you can be within your application
and on your training plan, the easier it is for DoD to understand,
the depth and the breadth of the opportunity that you're proposing
to provide for service members.
Next slide, please.
So this is where we get started.
So remember I said you're going to create a profile.
So you're going to go to our website and you're going to click Contact us.
And once you go to the Contact Us page
there's a dropdown menu for you to identify who you are.
I am, interested in industry, employer or agency.
you select that and then right under that, there'll be a little box
that says, I want to apply for the skill bridge program.
Now, once you click that box and you complete everything
that has a red asterisk next to it, and you come and you submit, and you,
click submit at the end, of that page,
that's when you're going to receive the application link.
so it's important that you select that box.
so if you don't select that box, you won't automatically receive
the email with the link to your application and instructions.
This is also where you come if you have a question
throughout the process and you need to reach out to someone
at the very bottom where it
says, I am an interested person with a general question.
If at any time during the application process,
or even after you want to reach out to someone from our program,
this is where you come select that you're a person with a general question
and submit your question,
and then someone from our team will get back to you with a response.
Next slide please.
So once you receive your MOU
and you get your credentials and you have access to the CMS website,
your opportunity will be listed
on the Skill Bridge website at the end of the week.
So if you receive, that information on
Tuesday, on Friday, your,
your name and your opportunity will appear on the Skill Bridge website.
We update the website every Friday.
And so that's when new names are added,
with your name added on the website, that's when you know
you are ready to start your, skill bridge program.
So at that point, you can start reaching out to service
members and advertising your skill bridge opportunities in a variety of ways.
so that service members,
can join your program.
But it's not until you have that signed MOU and you're listed on that website
that you can, begin outreach for your skill bridge program.
Along with that, I did want to specify that there are some caveats
with the use of the name
and the logo for the skill bridge program.
So the skill bridge name and logo are to be used only by approves.
Go bridge partners
in conjunction with the DoD Authorized Skill Bridge Partners program.
Approved use includes partners informing audiences of their participation
and the program on their websites and their literature used to support
skill bridge participants.
disclaimer to avoid the appearance of DoD endorsement
of the partners, products or services should be used when practical.
All other proposed uses for the skill bridge
name and logo must be approved by the DoD Skill Bridge Program Management Office.
The DoD Skill Bridge Program name and logo may not be used for commercial use,
such as for profit activities or advertisement
of the business services or products of the partner.
All right. Next slide.
Okay, so,
I did want to just summarize by saying that
everything that you need, to get started
is on this Go Bridge website.
all of the service policies to understand,
how long service members can participate.
Generally, if you have opportunities that are flexible
to where they can accommodate 90 days one week,
if someone up to 180 days, that's preferable because service members again
are going to come to you, with approval for different amounts of time.
And remember that this is a training program
that is no cost to the service member.
That should lead to a high probability of a full time position
on the other side of their skill bridge program of a salary
of at least $52,000 a year, or $25 an hour.
now I want to,
pause and leave the rest of the time for any questions that we have.
Hi. Can you hear me, doctor, please?
Yes, I can.
All right. Awesome.
I'm going to start my questions with, this one here.
we are under and we are an institute.
Under a university.
Can we apply just for the institute?
Or are we required to apply for the entire university?
you can apply just for the institute.
All right.
Thank you so much. Our next question.
do we have to be in business
for a minimum of three years?
Yes. so that is one change in the new MOU.
It used to be one year, but, under consultation with a small business
administration that has been changed to three years.
So you must have been a business in good
standing for three years in order to become an approved partner.
And I did see someone with a raised hand.
If you do have, questions, instead of raising your hand
because we have so many people, please just drop it in the chat
and we'll try to get to your question and have it run.
Thank you.
All right.
Our next question here is how is a service
members salary determined based on the Department of Defense?
Is it based on market benchmarks for rolls
or a flat rate.
So I'm not really sure.
I'm not really sure.
how to answer that because and I'm not sure
sure what salary you're talking about.
So while they're in the skill range program, their salary is paid
by their military service, not the employer.
So the employer is not paying salary while the service member is in the program.
When the program,
when the program ends and the employer,
offers employment to the service member
at that time, that salary has to be at least $52,000 a year.
If it's not a government position or at least $25 an hour,
and that usually is going to be, market driven.
All right.
I have another question that might relate a little bit to this.
why is there a mandated minimum wage and why is it so high?
This may hurt small and medium businesses who provide
good technical skills and jobs and hurts, possibly
hurts, efforts through Essex's and non-technical Mus.
Well, one thing to consider is that we want to make sure
that service members are transitioning into positions with
family sustaining wages, and we have to take into consider
consideration what service members are actually making,
in total compensation while they're on active duty.
And, the goal of the program is not for what
they're making, in total compensation on active duty to be reduced.
once they leave the service, we're looking for opportunities
that are comparable to at least a minimum of,
what they're being provided while they're on active duty.
Thank you so much.
Our next question.
If offered a job, can the service member start immediately?
And does the service member take terminal leave
prior to skill bridge?
So the services have,
different policies on terminal leave.
But as soon as the service member completes their skill bridge program,
and usually that's the last day that they're on active duty.
that's when that they can actually the day after
that is when they can start, employment.
All right.
Thank you so much.
Our international organizations able to apply.
it must be a US based company
that's approved by a US state organization
as a business entity.
All right, our next question.
If a candidate completes the DoD skill bridge program
and an offer of employment is made, how do we notify you?
So, for,
for some services, they have it set up and it will be,
instructions will be given through the approval process
on how to report that back to the service.
at this time, DoD has not set up the mechanism,
to be able to capture data
on, regular basis.
in the future, it'll be captured on, a once a quarter basis.
So every 90 days.
but as of now, that information will be asked of you
when you renew your application.
And so it's important just to keep records of that information.
so when DoD does reach out for that information,
you have it available.
All right. Our next question.
What is the difference between on the job and internship?
on the job training.
usually has a service
member, learning and gaining,
new skills.
usually for more hands on,
more hands on, skills based, occupations
that, require, a high level of proficiency.
And they're gradually learning, that proficiency
and taking on more increased tasks where as an internship,
there is some level of proficiency that their service member
will be able to come in with.
And as they're still gaining new skills, as they're learning new things,
they're usually able to function more independently.
All right.
Our next question.
Can we discontinue participation in the program
if we can't take skill bridge members any more? Yes.
And so you have two options with that.
So when you sign the MOU and it'll it'll say that, you know,
you're able to terminate your participate in the program.
So you can terminate your MOU.
You just let us know that you no longer want to participate.
Also, if you're in a position to where,
you need to pause participation for your program
and you're no longer active,
so say for six months you're not going to take new participants
and but you plan on doing it the next year.
You can just go into the CMS system that I mentioned.
You'll get credentials to and, change your status from active to inactive.
And then when you're ready to take in participants again, you can become active.
All right.
Our next question for immediate post service.
Sorry for immediate post service employment.
Do you define that as within six months or truly immediate?
within three months.
Within three months.
Okay.
Our next question.
How do service members apply with us
if we do get approved?
So that's that's really going to be up to you.
Right.
And so you're going to, execute
whatever, outreach campaign, that you choose,
whether it's posts on LinkedIn advertise your job,
whether it's developing relationships with installation personnel,
you will receive a point of contact for every service,
and you can leverage those points of contact and develop
relationships with installation level transition personnel
so that you can be part of, job fairs
and, career related events.
but once, a service member is connected to you,
you're going to put on the website, and that's why it's important
for you to use that CMS access,
to update your opportunity.
So once your opportunity is up there, you're going to want to go in and edit
how you want service members to reach out to you.
So do you want them to email you?
Do you want them to go to a certain website to apply?
however you want them to connect to you,
and go through your screening and vetting process.
It's going to be up to you, but you're going to need to make sure
it's very clear on the website, what you want service
members to do.
All right.
Next question.
Does live person lead include virtual
class meetings or does it need to be face to face?
it includes virtual.
So where you have, an instructor
and a virtual place and you have students, logging in from different,
locations.
That's fine.
It just again, needs to have that at least 50% synchronous,
part.
right.
Our next question.
Sorry, I lost it.
Can skill bridge positions be listed
within the partner's own job and program listings?
Yes, yes.
We have a lot of, employers that that do that.
they list their, skill bridge opportunities.
They just make sure that somewhere in the job title, it says, D.O.T.
Skill Bridge internship or something like that.
And then whatever the actual job title is, within,
their own job board or on other job boards
as well.
Right.
Thank you.
Our next question on the exemption for nonprofits, does that mean nonprofits
do not need to have been established for three years to apply?
No, the exemption, for nonprofits is
just for the is just for providing the business document.
But they still need to be in, operation
for at least three years.
All right.
Our next question for open enrollment.
Do we just need to submit that application,
or do we need to have the review process
complete during the enrollment timeframe?
You just so all employers need to worry about
is completing the application within the enrollment timeframe?
the earlier the better.
Please all don't wait till, the day before December 1st to,
submit applications.
but yeah, as long as your application
that includes your, complete training plan and the, business
verification documents are all submitted within the enrollment period.
then you're good to go now, the,
from whenever you submit, there's still that 30 to 60 day
window of the, authorization and approval process.
All right.
Thank you so much. All right.
Our next question is what happens if we offer the position
to 85% participants, but under 75%,
except is there anything we need to make sure
at least 75% of them do accept?
Well, you can't control,
whether a service members accept, but you can control the offer rate.
and so it's just important for you to just document that
and being able to, explain,
any differences and that.
All right.
Thank you so much.
Is there any way to amend the MOU after our H.R.
And legal officers has reviewed it before approval?
No, there is not.
All right.
Sorry, I'm looking for my next question here.
All right.
Once the application has been
been submitted, is there a way to track the status of the application
in the approval process, or just wait to be contacted? Did,
no, there's not, a way.
Currently we are in the process of revamping our IT infrastructure.
And so in the future there will be a way for you to track the status.
But as of now, it is not.
So you can reach out to our program if you haven't heard anything after,
30 or 45 days.
All right.
Thank you so much.
Our next question for larger companies, will multiple authorized
people be awarded access to the CMS site,
or is it shared
or is shared access expected or approved?
yes.
We and we can get into how that could look.
There is a limit of how many users, per organization.
but it depends on how you structure and CMS.
So if you have questions about that, once you become an approved partner,
reach out to us and then we can, we can give you some guidelines
on how to best structure it within the system.
All right.
Sorry about this. Next question.
All right.
How many hours per day are required for training sessions?
there's not an hour per day.
it's just the training opportunity has to be 40 hours
per week.
All right, next question.
I'm concerned I may need to change some things on my application.
How will I know
if I need to submit a new application before the deadline of the 15th?
If something needs changing.
I'm sorry. You.
I'm sorry.
my phone cut out.
Can you restate that? Sure.
All right.
I'm concerned.
I may need to change some things on my application.
How will I know if I need to submit a new application
before the deadline of the 15th?
well,
if you've already submitted
your application, you don't need to submit a new one.
if there's any issues with your application, we will reach out
to you, to get further, clarification
and let you know, what specifically?
may need to be edited or
if you, are anticipating there are significant changes that you want to make.
now just, go to that contact us page
and select interested person with a general question
and include the ticket number that you received
when you submitted your application, and your organization name
so that we can connect, your question with the actual application
and include the information that you want to add to your application.
But there's no need to submit a new application.
All right.
Our next question.
Our service members allowed to travel
as part of their training if covered by the company.
Yes, they are allowed to travel, and I apologize.
That is something, that I mentioned I failed to mention.
So even though, you're not allowed
to, pay service members, what you are allowed to pay
for is any lodging or subsistence or any travel costs.
associated with the service member taking the internship, as long as that's
something that you would pay for for someone who's nonmilitary affiliated.
So for your college interns, the same things you're able
to pay for them, you're able to pay for service members as well.
That's one of the newer changes with the MoU.
All right.
Thank you so much. Our next question.
Our organization is a hospital and has requirements in regard to vaccines.
Ask bridge Service members exempt from such requirements.
That is a new question.
let me give you the best answer, if you don't mind submitting
that on the website so that I can, verify I have an idea what I think
the answer is, but I want to give you the the best answer possible.
So can you submit that on our website?
And, outline specifically what
vaccines, you're talking about?
And I'll, make sure someone from our team
gets you a detailed response.
All right.
Thank you so much.
Our next question,
we have a larger parent company with many business units across the US.
Would I need to apply for each business unit
or IT as a parent company as a whole?
The and so it depends.
Is only your business unit going to be participating in the program.
Then only your business unit would need to apply.
However, if the organization as a whole wants
to bring school bridge interns in across different lines of business,
then it would be best for the organization as a whole to apply
and then have each business unit listed under them
as, as, as a program under the parent company,
so that there can be separate program managers for each, parent company.
So it's not just one person managing the whole thing.
And then you can submit individual opportunities.
that way.
but it really just depends on the plan.
Participation.
All right.
Our next question.
What does the process look like?
Post skill bridge separation.
How soon should an offer be extended and what happens if the service member
is not successful in the program?
So if a service member is having issues and the program,
you're going to be able to reach back out,
to their installation transition manager, which can then work with their chain
of command to be able to resolve any issues, that you may be having
while the service member is in the program so that they can complete successfully,
if they do not successfully complete the program,
there is no expectation for an offer of employment.
while we do say within three months, understand that,
the service member is transitioning from the service,
when they leave military service, their military pay will end
and they will need to support themselves and their families.
And so they'll be looking for, a job offers as soon as possible
to ensure that their family is supported throughout that transition process.
So while, we say within three months, as soon as possible is preferable.
Thank you so much.
All right.
Our next question, you mentioned commission.
Oh, I lost my question.
It said do you, do you
you mentioned commission only positions are not allowed.
Could you give an example of this?
yeah.
So these would be, real estate agents that operate only, that are paid
only on commission or insurance sales,
that are paid only on, commission.
All right.
Thank you so much.
our next question.
Can a service member be recalled by their command?
And what does this look like?
Especially if they are checking out of their unit or retiring?
so it is possible
it doesn't happen very often.
but it is possible just given the nature,
of the military, and mission requirements.
So it is possible that they could be recalled.
But in general, it's not a practice.
All right.
next question.
If we submit our application prior to July 15th,
will we be asked to sign the update it MOU
with the new requirements? Yes.
All right.
our next question.
and I think we touched on this a little bit earlier,
but how often will companies be required to report their outcomes?
Okay.
in the future it'll be, once a quarter.
All right.
do you have time for one more question?
Yeah, let's squeeze it in there.
All right. Pick a good one.
All right, here we go.
We are a large business.
what if we do not achieve five accepted participants per year despite
having five roles posted, the number feels like
it could be quite challenging to achieve based on jobs available
that also achieve the 52,000 salary minimum.
so the.
The. I'm trying to say how the best way it
so it's a it's a minimum goal that we're asking organizations to commit to.
And so we expect for organizations to,
put forth the effort, understanding it may not happen,
but understanding that this is the goal that we're trying to work towards.
so, we understand that, that things happen
and we understand that it's different, but there are things that organizations
can do to make sure that they're bringing in,
interns on the scale.
that is according to their, their business size.
And if you have questions about that, you can reach out to our program
and we can give you, some best practices,
on how other organizations
that are successful in bringing in large numbers of interns, are doing it.
And with that, that is our last question.
We have run out of time.
becoming a skill bridge partner is a fulfilling opportunity
to give back to those who served our nation, while also gaining access
to a pool of uniquely skilled and dedicated individuals.
And we thank you for attending today.
We thank you for your time and your questions.
If you have additional questions, please go to our website
to the Contact Us feature and submit those questions.
And, someone from our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
We look forward to working with you to make this a huge, and lasting success.
Have a great day.