Soldier to Civilian: Purpose of Higher Education for Military Personnel

Soldier to Civilian

Clarence Morgan Jr.

ENG101: English Composition

Dr. Linfoot

Purpose of Higher Education for Military Personnel

The purpose of higher education for military personnel is to make them prepare for the transition from their military life to normal civilian life. Military personnel spend the prime time of their lives in the military services and continue to serve the nation until they return back to their civilian lives. The transition back to civilian life is challenging for military personnel and their families. Apart from moving to new neighborhoods, changing schools they will be more concerned about finding a suitable employment for leading their lives. Military personnel have to compete with the non-military peers to start a new meaningful career. In this process of transition, obtaining a degree or exposure to higher education has an important part to play in making it easier for them. This paper examines the purpose of higher education for military personnel and explains the importance of securing degrees to prepare themselves for the transition to civilian life.

As per a recent survey conducted among military veterans, more than 88.5% of the participants shared their belief that the most important factor in their post-military career is to secure a higher education. (Ebersole,2013). As per statistics, more than one hundred thousand service members are scheduled to return to civilian life in the coming years; this means that employment for veterans will be a major social issue in the near future. Higher education offers the best support to military personnel when having to face such realities when returning back to civilian life. The transition of military veterans into the civil life is challenging. When they are

removed from the basic regimented structure of military, they begin to face problems in the various stages of transition. However, there are plenty of resources for military personnel in which they can benefit by participating in higher education. Today, many institutions focus on building veteran support by employing experienced, dedicated, and well-informed support staff. (Ebersole, 2013).

Military personnel have many opportunities to continue their education whether they are in active service, veterans or reservists. It is better for them to secure their degree while they are in active service. By doing this it will help them to compete in the job market once they are back to the civilian life. There are programs like the Service members Opportunities Colleges from which military personnel can benefit from. Today technology has made tremendous changes in education and online education make the learning process a lot easier. Military personnel are more likely to experience troubles in securing their degrees because of their frequent moves and uncertain schedules. Many universities offer online degree courses and the military people can choose one that suits to them. Military personnel can make use of the GI Bill benefits to reduce the financial burden in securing a degree. The GI Bill created a comprehensive package of benefits, including financial assistance for higher education, for veterans of U.S. military service. The benefits of the GI Bill are intended to help veterans readjust to civilian life following service to their country. There are many programs that offer tuition assistance to both veterans and personnel in service who wish to continue their education. (“Florida Tech University,”2013).

Military students should make appropriate decisions on choosing a degree. They need to consider their current and future career options to select a degree. They need to consider the level of education which the course requires and the amount of flexibility of the degree program. When a military student is up to securing a degree, they should think and see if it lines up best with his/her military career. With a suitable degree, aspiring students can effectively translate their military employment into a civilian job. There are many sources that can help the military personnel to get an idea of future salaries, flexibility and the nature of training required to pursue their degree plan. As students, military personnel can translate their military experience into college credit which will help them to get their degree in a shorter period of time. Because of lack of flexibility of time and schedules, many military personnel do not give more importance in the degree focus instead they are more concerned about securing it. Such people can consider a degree where they can apply their military experience for academic credit. They can also earn credits through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). A master’s degree in business administration is usually completed very fast and it is flexible regarding time. Those who are interested in the field of business can make this a choice (“Florida Tech University,” 2013).

In the competitive job market, not all veterans can expect to get a job that is in line with their military career. So it is a good decision if one wants to change his career path when continuing studies as military personnel. Military training and experience are best suited for many civilian careers. Careers like office administration, computer software engineering, human resource management and data entry are good career opportunities for military personnel to choose from. The first step in the transition process is to determine the best suited career path

for them. They should examine their current credentials and their areas of proficiency. There are colleges and universities that offer military-specific courses. (Richardson, 2013).

Whether as an active military servant or as a veteran, the military student should ensure that they are seeking higher education possibilities that suit his/her career aspirations. Enrolling in a suitable degree program will help them to achieve their long term goals when they are back to civil life. A military student should thoroughly understand their background, qualifications and interests before making decisions on joining a particular program. Correct decisions will always prove as worthy to spent time and money for securing that degree. While securing a suitable degree is beneficial for a military servant to settle down in thier civilian life, a wrong degree program may prove just opposite. For example, choosing a degree program that fit neither to their interests nor to his long-term goals, will cause the process of transition to the civilian workforce more challenging and exhausting. Veterans can benefit from mentorship programs offered in many universities in the United States. Today, there are veteran-specific job fairs conducted in many places. At these types of job fairs, the companies understand the skills and experiences of the veterans. Those persons who have secured a degree would be valued highly in such job fairs. (Richardson, 2013).

The reported veteran unemployment rate is shown as eight percent whereas the veteran contribution in the current workforce is only less than 52%. These statistics shows that almost half of U.S. veterans are hopeless with the current job market. In fact, the veterans have some invaluable skills that their non-military peers do not possess. Lack of higher education holds military personnel back when competing with non-military personnel or civilians. The actual

purpose of higher education is to make military personnel realize their own strengths and values and to educate them to communicate their value to potential employers. Securing a suitable degree is the best means to do so. (Ebersole, 2013). A recent white house initiative addressed the issue of the veteran employment through a new training and certification partnership program. This program recognizes the fact that veterans do not have the required training and education to compete in the job market and to get entered into the civilian workforce. The purpose of this certification program is to enable the military personnel to land an equivalent civilian job as he leaves the military service. (Friedman, 2013).

In recent years, more and more men and women are back to their civilian lives after their military service. There is no doubt that it will create a tight competition in the job market. To face the challenges of transition into the civilian life, veterans should be able to compete in the job market. The only way to make them confident and eligible for civilian jobs is to achieve higher education to meet their goals.

References

Ebersole, J (2013). Our Returning Military: We Need to Do More. Retrieved on November 13, 2013 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnebersole/2013/01/16/our-returning-military-we-need-to-do-more/

Florida Tech University Online (2013). Degree Considerations for Military Personnel. Retrieved on November 13, 2013 from http://www.floridatechonline.com/online-degree-resources/degree-considerations-for-military-personnel/

Friedman, B (2013). A Key Step: Certifying Vets for Post-Military Jobs. Retrieved on November 13, 2013 from http://nation.time.com/2013/05/01/a-key-step-certifying-vets-for-post-military-jobs/

Richardson, JR (2013). Tips for Transitioning from Military Service to the Civilian Workforce. Retrieved on November 13, 2013 from http://www.careerattraction.com/tips-for-transitioning-from-military-service-to-the-civilian-workforce/