Army Emergency Relief is looking to make the military-to-civilian transition easier by offering soldiers grants through its Career Skills Program.
AER, the service’s official non-profit, is committing $3 million to support CSP by making grants available to soldiers to develop skills, credentials, and knowledge to improve their civilian employment options. The grants will allow transitioning soldiers to participate in internships, on-the-job training, and apprenticeships through CSP.
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Retired Army Col. Sean Ryan, AER’s director of marketing and communications, said the grants provide $500 to soldiers who are attending CSP near their home base, $1,000 to those traveling long distances, and $1,500 to those coming in from overseas.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for these soldiers to not only start an intern program but having an assist with it helps as well,” he said.
The Army began the CSP in 2015 with the goal to enhance soldiers’ skills with a civilian internship to improve their chances of employment after leaving the service.
“However, the soldiers did not receive any reimbursement,” Ryan said. “Whenever you do something like that, you are going to incur additional expenses.”
Those expenses can include the cost for travel, administration, the possible purchase of business attire, and even tools, he said.
“AER feels like as the only official nonprofit of the U.S. Army that we had an obligation to transition out of service after they’ve served honorably and to help them on their way, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” he said.
The program has already distributed nearly 50 grants amounting to over $40,000 in the six weeks it has been available.
“It’s slowly gaining steam,” Ryan said.
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Transitioning soldiers need to have six months of service left to be eligible for a grant and should contact their local AER office for more information.
AER was established shortly after the end of World War II and has a goal of assisting service members, retired service members and their families who are in need of financial help. It currently has 34 categories of assistance, including providing help with medical bills or other expenses. That includes helping cover the cost of transporting the pet of a soldier who is overseas, Ryan said
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.