Transition to Civilian Life: Better Collection and Analysis of Military Service Data Needed to Improve Oversight of the SkillBridge Program
Fast Facts
The Defense Department offers the SkillBridge program to service members who are transitioning back to civilian life. The program allows them to participate in a civilian job and job training up to 180 days before they leave military service.
About 12,000 service members participated in the first half of FY 2024. The services reported that 83% were enlisted personnel.
However, the services don't consistently collect or analyze data about service members' participation in the program. Doing so could help them see if the program is meeting service members' needs and identify and address any issues.
Our 7 recommendations address these issues.
Highlights
What GAO Found
Around 200,000 service members transition from military service to civilian life each year. The Department of Defense (DOD) offers the SkillBridge program to provide industry training to service members who are transitioning out of their military career to civilian life. The SkillBridge program allows service members of any rank, enlisted or officer, to participate in an employment training opportunity starting up to 180 days before they separate from military service and transition to the civilian workforce. Such training can include job training, employment skills training, apprenticeships, and internships.
Eligibility for SkillBridge. Participation in the SkillBridge program is voluntary and initiated by the service member. Service members interested in the SkillBridge program must obtain approval from their chain of command and complete any additional participation requirements included in their respective military service policy, including completing ethics educational requirements.
Characteristics of participants. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 included provisions for GAO to specifically report on SkillBridge program participant data, including participation by rank and full-time offers for employment received upon competition of the program for fiscal years 2019–2023. The data for these metrics currently do not exist for all the military services or has been tracked inconsistently. However, GAO collected and analyzed some data for the first two quarters of fiscal year 2024.
According to data provided by the military services, almost 12,000 service members across DOD have participated in the SkillBridge program in the first two quarters of fiscal year 2024. Additionally, about 83 percent of those participating in the SkillBridge program during the first half of fiscal year 2024 were enlisted personnel and were between the ranks of E-4 and E-6 for each of the military services.
Figure: SkillBridge Program Participants Reported by Military Service from October 1, 2023–March 30, 2024
Note: GAO was not able to include the Coast Guard in the SkillBridge program participant totals because the Coast Guard does not collect data on SkillBridge program participants due to a lack of resources according to DHS and Coast Guard program officials. However, officials estimated that the Coast Guard had at least 39 participants for the first two quarters of fiscal year 2024.
According to multiple DOD and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials GAO spoke with, tracking SkillBridge program related data varies between the military services, and specific analysis of SkillBridge program data does not exist at the department level. Moreover, none of the military services have conducted a comprehensive analysis of SkillBridge program data to ascertain if the program is meeting the needs of its service members. As a result of the ad hoc data collection, the military services are unable to assess if the SkillBridge program is meeting service members' needs and are also unable to formulate corrective action plans to address any identified issues or challenges. Moreover, this absence of data, analysis, and corrective action plans could make it difficult for key decisionmakers to provide oversight to the program.
Policies for ethics rules. Officials from the SkillBridge program stated that there are several established DOD policies the program uses to educate service members on ethical standards and to prevent conflicts of interest while participating in the program. Additionally, the military services have implemented additional practices to educate service members on their ethical responsibilities while in the program. On the SkillBridge program website, service members have access to a SkillBridge Program Participants Ethics Brief which outlines the general ethical responsibilities a service member is required to follow while in the program.
Why GAO Did This Study
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 includes a provision for GAO to review the use of the SkillBridge program by members of the military services. This report examines (1) how the Secretary of Defense determines eligibility of service members to participate in the program; (2) characteristics of personnel participating in the program; and (3) the incorporation of relevant federal ethics rules regarding internships.
GAO reviewed relevant DOD and military service guidance on the SkillBridge program; reviewed federal ethics rules and relevant federal law; collected and analyzed military services SkillBridge program data; and interviewed officials from DOD, the military services, and installations.
Recommendations
GAO is making six recommendations to DOD and one to DHS; to update SkillBridge program guidance to include what types of program data should be tracked by each of the military services, and then once the SkillBridge program guidance is updated, for each of the military services to systematically collect and analyze SkillBridge program data and report that data to the Military-Civilian Transition Office. GAO is also recommending that the Coast Guard systematically collect and analyze SkillBridge program data and to report that data to the Military-Civilian Transition Office.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should update SkillBridge program guidance to include what types of SkillBridge program data should be tracked by each of the military services and how that data should be reported to the department. (Recommendation 1) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should, once SkillBridge program guidance is updated, ensure the Secretary of the Army directs the Chief of Staff of the Army to collect and analyze SkillBridge program data and report that data to the Military-Civilian Transition Office along with any associated corrective action plans. (Recommendation 2) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should, once SkillBridge program guidance is updated, ensure the Secretary of the Navy directs the Chief of Naval Operations to collect and analyze SkillBridge program data and report that data to the Military-Civilian Transition Office along with any associated corrective action plans. (Recommendation 3) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should, once SkillBridge program guidance is updated, ensure the Secretary of the Navy directs the Commandant of the Marine Corps to collect and analyze SkillBridge program data and report that data to the Military- Civilian Transition Office along with any associated corrective action plans. (Recommendation 4) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should, once SkillBridge program guidance is updated, ensure the Secretary of the Air Force directs the Chief of Staff of the Air Force to collect and analyze Air Force SkillBridge program data and report that data to the Military-Civilian Transition Office along with any associated corrective action plans. (Recommendation 5) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should, once SkillBridge program guidance is updated, ensure the Secretary of the Air Force directs the Chief of Space Operations to collect and analyze Space Force SkillBridge program data and report that data to the Military-Civilian Transition Office along with any associated corrective action plans. (Recommendation 6) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Homeland Security | The Secretary of Homeland Security, should, once SkillBridge program guidance is updated, direct the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard to collect and analyze SkillBridge program data and share that data, along with any corrective action plans, with DOD's Military-Civilian Transition Office, as appropriate. (Recommendation 7) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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