FORT HOOD — Radiology Specialist Lewis McDonald works at the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center. If he wanted to to work at a private hospital however, he couldn't be hired. Not until, he got the right industry credentials for the private sector.
"In the military we are not required to have any national credentialing, but outside the army we are not allowed to do this without the credential," McDonald said
That's why the U.S. Army created the Credentialing Assistance Program. The program is designed to provide soldiers the private sector credentials for jobs they do for the Army so they can easily transition to the civilian workforce.
U.S. Congressman John Carter held a press conference at Fort Hood's Visitor's Center to announce the program Tuesday. Carter said he had worked for two years to make the program happen.
"The transition between military and civilian life is not easy," Carter said. "For many of our men and women in uniform there is a gap between their service and a well-paying job. One of the most common things, certification in a credentialing program."
The Army has selected Fort Hood for a limited user test of the new Credentialing Assistance Program. The program will start around September of 2018 and continue until the end of 2019. It will offer 28 certifications for industries including Food, HR, Information Technologies, Logistics, Medical, and several trade certifications.
Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel A. Dailey told reporters Fort Hood was selected for multiple reasons including it's education center and diverse workforce.
"The Great Place has got a lot of soldiers in a diverse realm of MOS. That's why we want to do a limited user test," Dailey said.
The program worked with central Texas industries and academic institutions to decide what industries and credentials to include in the program test. The focus was on giving soldiers additional education to help them compete in the job force and each soldier would be able to receive up to $4000 worth of classes or test fees. There is no limit to the number of soldiers that can participate.
If the test goes well, the Army will look to roll out the program to other bases starting in late 2019.
"The limited user test will serve as an example of the resources we need to lay out a broader program," Dailey said.