SkillBridge
Career opportunities for transitioning service members.
The Be Connected Career Navigation team is here to support transitioning service members connect with SkillBridge opportunities in Arizona. Learn more and get started by calling 866-4AZ-VETS or completing this form.
As a SkillBridge participant, you’ll get a foot in the door of an industry with a veteran supportive employer in a position that can help you discover new skills and even a new career path. You’ll be building a network of contacts outside of your military circle while discovering new possibilities in a supportive environment with an employer that is seeking your valuable and unique skills. Since the SkillBridge placement is approved by your command and funded by the Department of Defense, you won’t be forced to choose to earn a paycheck or learn. SkillBridge is one way to help ease your transition from military service into the civilian workforce so you can plan for the next phase of life after the military.
Advantages You Gain Through SkillBridge
- Gain hands-on experience in a civilian career field
- Build a professional network outside of the military
- Experience a smooth transition to civilian employment
- Unlock the potential for a full-time employment offer
- Enhance your resume with real-world experience
We Help You Through the Process
- We coordinate the application process with your command
- We connect you to military/veteran supportive employers
- We provide career coaching to optimize your resume
- We help translate your military skills into civilian roles
- We support you throughout the SkillBridge experience
- We help you define and align your experience to your career goals
Frequently Asked Questions
SkillBridge is a Department of Defense (DOD) program that offers service members the opportunity to gain civilian work experience through internships, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training during their last 180 days of service.
Active duty service members within their last 180 days of service, with commander approval, are eligible to participate in the SkillBridge program.
There can be an extensive amount of coordination and paperwork associated with SkillBridge. In Arizona, the Arizona Coalition for Military Families has a program called Be Connected which helps service members, veterans and their families with services. Part of this service offering is providing coordination and support for SkillBridge.
Fill out the SkillBridge inquiry form by clicking the “Learn More” button at www.ConnectVeterans.org/SkillBridge or call 866-4AZ-VETS (866-429-8387) and ask about SkillBridge.
Once we receive your inquiry, we’ll reach out and walk you through the steps.
SkillBridge participants can gain valuable civilian work experience while being paid by the military, build professional networks, and potentially secure employment before transitioning out of military service.
SkillBridge can provide a unique opportunity to gain civilian work experience with a trusted, veteran-friendly employer. Rather than being a time of uncertainty and stress, a SkillBridge placement can be a smart and strategic way to discover the next step in your career journey. Working for a civilian employer can provide a way to enhance your marketability by addressing a gap in civilian work experience on a mostly military resume.
We do not accept fees of any kind for our SkillBridge program from individuals or employers, keeping us free of conflicts of interest. There is no cost for Be Connected Career Navigation services. Career Navigation is provided in partnership and coordination with the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family, Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity and the Arizona@Work state workforce system.
How it Works
- Complete the SkillBridge intake form.
- Once we receive your inquiry, we’ll reach out and walk you through the steps.
- If you’re not quite ready to start the process but have questions, call the Be Connected support line at 866-4AZ-VETS (866-429-8387) or email the Be Connected Career Navigation team at CareerNav@ArizonaCoalition.org
We do not accept fees of any kind for our SkillBridge program keeping us free of conflicts of interest. There is no cost for Be Connected Career Navigation services. Career Navigation is provided in partnership and coordination with the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family, Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity and the Arizona@Work state workforce system.
