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The '''Transition Assistance Program''' (TAP) is a [[U.S. Department of Defense]]-led program that provides service members with information, tools, and training to prepare themresources for life after the military. Other U.S. agencies that participate in the development, delivery, and evaluation of the curriculum and informationprocess include the [[U.S. Department of Labor]], the [[Department of Veterans Affairs]], the [[Small Business Administration]], the [[Department of Homeland Security]], the [[Department of Education]], and the [[Office of Personnel Management]].:<ref name="DoDTAP.mil">{{cite web|url=https://www.dodtap.mil/|title=DoDTAP.mil|work=dodtap.mil}}</ref>
The program offers mandatory and optional curriculumcurricula for Service members through classroom training and also provides the curriculum online through the [https://jkodirect.jten.mil| Joint Knowledge Online] portal.
The program provides curriculum to service members throughout their time in the military to assist them in developing -- and charting a path toward achieving -- long-term military and post-military goals for employment and education.
==History==
In 1990, as the U.S. military's post-[[Cold War]] drawdown was beginning, [[US Congress|Congress]] authorized through PL 101-510<ref name="history">{{cite web|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/L?d101:./list/bd/d101pl.lst:510(Public_Laws)|title=Public Law 101-510|work=thomas.loc.gov}}</ref> a set of benefits and services to assist military personnel in the transition to civilian life. Many of these authorities continued until 2011, when [[President Obama]] announced plans for the [[U.S. Department of Defense]] and the [[Department of Veterans Affairs]] to design a "reverse boot camp" to improve the transition from military to civilian life.<ref name="Obama Announcement">{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/08/05/fact-sheet-president-obama-s-commitment-employing-america-s-veterans|title=Obama Announcement|work=whitehouse.gov}}</ref> On average, 200,000 service members leave the military each year.<ref name="Military separations">{{cite web|url=http://www.gao.gov/assets/120/111859.pdf|title=Military Separations|work=gao.gov}}</ref>
In late 2011, Congress modified the program through PL 112-56.<ref name="PL 112-56">{{cite web|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-112publ56/html/PLAW-112publ56.htm|title=Public Law 112-56|work=gpo.gov}}</ref> The [[Wall Street Journal]] labeled it the "first major overhaul" of the program in more than 20 years.<ref name="TAP Redesign">{{cite web|url=http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443295404577543432146052066|work=wsj.com}}</ref> Major modifications to the program authorized in PL 112-56 includeincluded mandatory participation for all service members, standardized curriculum and learning outcomes, an expanded timeline, and smaller class sizes, and completion of Career Readiness Standards. The law also established athe requirement to have certain components of the program spread throughout a service member's military lifecareer, cyclecompletion of Career Readiness Standards, aand causethe championedverification by [[Secretarya commander of Defense]]a [[Ashtonservice Carter]]member’s career readiness. On average, 200,000 service members leave the military each year.<ref name="Military Life Cycle Modelseparations">{{cite web|url=http://www.executivegovgao.comgov/2015assets/04/ashton-carter-dod-program-aims-to-help-soldiers-prepare-for-civilian-life-transition-early120/111859.pdf|title=Military Separations|work=executivegovgao.comgov}}</ref>
In 2015, the director of the Transition to Veterans Program Office, the [[U.S. Department of Defense]] office that governs the Transition Assistance Program, was nominated for the [[Partnership for Public Service ]]'s [[Samuel J. Heyman ]] [[Service to America Medal]] award in the category of Management Excellence for "her efforts to redesign the Transition Assistance Program " to comply with PL 112-56.<ref name="SAMMIE Award">{{cite web|url=http://servicetoamericamedals.org/honorees/view_profile.php?profile=412|title=SAMMIE Award|work=servicetoamericamedals.org}}</ref> ▼[[President Obama]] announced the redesign of the Transition Assistance Program in [[Reno]], [[Nevada]] on July 23, 2012, at the 113th National Convention of the [[Veterans of Foreign Wars]].<ref name="VFW National Convention">{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/23/fact-sheet-president-obama-s-work-honor-our-military-families-and-vetera|work=whitehouse.gov}}</ref><ref name="VFW News">{{cite web|url=http://www.vfw.org/News-and-Events/Articles/2012-Articles/Fact-Sheet--President-Obama%E2%80%99s-Work-to-Honor-our-Military-Families-and-Veterans/|work=vfw.org}}</ref> After piloting the program in the summer of 2012<ref name="TAP Pilot">{{cite web|url=http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=117959|work=defense.gov}}</ref>, the program was fully implemented on November 21, 2012 through Directive-type Memorandum 12-007
<ref name="DTM 12-007">{{cite web|url=http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/DTM12007_2012_ch3.pdf|work=dtic.mil}}</ref>,
with [[DoD]]-verified data from 2015 showing active-duty service members’ compliance ranging from 91 percent to 97 percent.<ref name="TAP compliance">{{cite web|url=http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=128063|work=defense.gov}}</ref>
▲In 2015, the director of the Transition to Veterans Program Office, the [[U.S. Department of Defense]] office that governs the Transition Assistance Program, was nominated for the Partnership for Public Service's Samuel J. Heyman [[Service to America Medal]] award in the category of Management Excellence for her efforts to redesign the Transition Assistance Program to comply with PL 112-56.<ref name="SAMMIE Award">{{cite web|url=http://servicetoamericamedals.org/honorees/view_profile.php?profile=412|title=SAMMIE Award|work=servicetoamericamedals.org}}</ref>
==Career Readiness Standards==
Career Readiness Standards (CRS) are a set of career preparation activities Service members must complete to depart from active duty and be considered "career ready." The standards provide Service members with a clear, comprehensive set of activities to ensure they have the training and skills needed to transition successfully into civilian life.
All Service members departing from active duty must docomplete the followingIndividual Transition Plan; complete an integrated 12-month post-separation budget; Register on the [[Veteran Affairs|VA]] site; evaluate transferability of military skills to the civilian workforce; go through pre-separation counseling; and attend the DOL Employment Workshop, among other criteria.<ref name="DoDTAP.mil">{{cite web|url=https://www.dodtap.mil/career_readiness_standards.html/|title=DoDTAP.mil|work=dodtap.mil}}</ref>
# Complete the Individual Transition Plan (ITP) documenting the individual's personal employment, higher education, career technical training, and/or entrepreneurship goals, actions, and milestones.
Service members complete the CRS through attending TAP's core curriculum classroom training. This core curriculum, called Transition GPS (Goals, Plans, Success), includes coourses such as the followingMilitary Occupational Code Crosswalk and the Department of Labor Workshop, trainingamong courses:others.▼# Complete an integrated 12-month post-separation budget.
# Register on the VA [[https://www.ebenefits.va.gov| eBenefits]] site.
# Complete Continuum of Military Service Opportunity Counseling (Active Component to Reserve Component only).
# Evaluate transferability of military skills to the civilian workforce and complete the gap analysis provided during the Military Occupational Code Crosswalk.
# Identify requirements and eligibility for certification, licensure, and apprenticeship in the Service member's desired potential career field.
# Complete a standardized individual assessment tool to identify personal interests and leanings regarding career selection.
# Receive Department of Labor (DOL) Gold Card for American Job Centers. The Gold Card provides six months of priority services for post 9/11 Veterans at any DOL American Job Center, including DOL-funded employment and training programs; case management; skills assessment and interest surveys; career guidance; and job search assistance.
# Complete job application package or receive job offer letter. The package must include a private or public sector resume, personal and professional references, and at least two submitted job applications.
# Complete pre-separation counseling
# Complete VA Benefits I and II Briefings
# Complete the DOL Employment Workshop (unless exempt)
Transitioning Service members may also opt to enroll in the following two-day training tracks :, namely Accessing Higher Education, Career Technical Training and Entrepreneurship. ▼▲Service members complete the CRS through attending TAP's core curriculum classroom training. This core curriculum, called Transition GPS (Goals, Plans, Success), includes the following training courses:
The Military Life Cycle (MLC) Transition Model allows a Service member's transition to begin early through training and educational opportunities.
# Transition Overview / Resilient Transitions: Provides Service members with an understanding of the importance of preparing for their transition from military service and introduces participants to resources on transition-related issues that may have a significant impact on the transition process if overlooked.
# Military Occupational Code Crosswalk: Demonstrates how to translate military skills, training, and experience into civilian credentialing appropriate for civilian jobs.
# Financial Planning: Provides information and tools needed to identify financial responsibilities, obligations, and goals after separation from the military.
# VA Benefits briefings: Provides information on available Veterans benefits and services.
# Department of Labor Workshop: Delivers best practices in career development, including learning interview skills, building effective resumes, and using emerging technology to network and search for employment.
# ITP Review / Capstone: Verifies that a Service member has met CRS and has a viable Individual Transition Plan.
==Tracks==
▲Transitioning Service members may opt to enroll in the following two-day training tracks: Accessing Higher Education, Career Technical Training and Entrepreneurship.
*Accessing Higher Education: Designed for those pursuing higher education, this track focuses on topics such as how to achieve academic success, research and compare institutions, align education to career goals, and finance higher education. Upon completion, students will be better informed on how to select and apply to accredited institutions and how to schedule academic counseling sessions.
*Career Technical Training: Designed to provide guidance on selecting technical training schools and technical fields, this track informs Service members on applying to accredited career technical training institutions and scheduling counseling sessions with career technical training experts and VA vocational education counselors.
*Entrepreneurship: Designed to assist Service members interested in pursuing self-employment, this track provides information on the benefits and challenges of entrepreneurship and the steps required for veterans to start a business. Upon completion, Service members will have begun a business feasibility plan for their small business and will be provided the option of enrolling in a follow-on online course.
==Military Life Cycle Transition Model==
The Military Life Cycle (MLC) Transition Model allows for a Service member's transition preparation to begin early and carry through a member's career through training and educational opportunities that allow the member to align his or her military career with post-military goals, whether those goals involve employment, education, career technical training, or starting a business.
==References==
*{{USGovernment|sourceURL=[https://www.dodtap.mil/ The Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program website]}}
:[[:Category:U.S. Military]]
== Resubmitted - Draft:Transition Assistance Program ==
== Resubmitting Draft:Transition Assistance Program entry ... with better, independent, reliable references to improve notability ==
== Draft:Transition Assistance Program - included more sources to verify notability ==
{{AFC submission|||ts=20150707205626|u=Jward4|ns=118}}
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