Licensing, certification info for military jobs available online

  • Published
  • By Army Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem
  • American Forces Press Service
People separating from the military can now get online help earning professional certification or licenses related to their military jobs for the civilian world before they leave the service.

"There are a lot of people who get out of the military only to find out that they are not prepared, even though they've probably gotten all the training and all the experience that they need to have those credentials," said Sandra Winborne, certification program manager for the Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support, or DANTES.

"Many military specialties require certification or licensing to perform that job in the civilian world," she said. "Some of the more common are information technology and telecommunications jobs, most specialties in the medical and aviation fields, and most types of engineers and mechanics."

The DANTES Web site describes certifications or licenses required to take a job in a wide variety of civilian career fields. Servicemembers can search based on their occupational specialty or service code. The site describes how well training and experience in military jobs prepare people for the tests and what added work they might need to do.

The DANTES site also contains links to information from the Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics on what civilian jobs correspond to military specialties.

She explained that DANTES has agreements with more than 50 organizations that provide professional licensing and certification. Many of the tests can be taken at the 580 DANTES testing centers on military bases worldwide.

In many cases, financial assistance is available. DOD officials have signed agreements with some licensing or certification boards to cover the cost of tests given to military people. Many other tests are covered under the Department of Veterans Affairs' Montgomery GI Bill.

Wilborne said the Air Force Reserve will now reimburse members for some tests associated with licensing and certification. Individuals can contact their nearest DANTES testing representative or military education center for more information.