The 1-week Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is designed to equip service members with tools and resources for a smooth transition to civilian life. Its core elements include:

1. Initial Counseling – One-on-one sessions to assess individual needs and develop an Individual Transition Plan (ITP).
2. Pre-Separation Counseling – A briefing outlining benefits, services, and resources available to transitioning service members.
3. Transition Core Curriculum – A comprehensive program covering:
   • Managing Your Transition: Guidance on navigating the shift to civilian life.
   • Military Occupational Code (MOC) Crosswalk: Translating military experience into civilian job skills.
   • Financial Planning: Creating a budget for post-military life.
   • VA Benefits and Services: An overview of available veterans’ benefits.
   • Department of Labor (DOL) Employment Workshop: Focused on job search strategies, resume writing, networking, and interviewing.
4. Optional Two-Day Tracks – Specialized tracks in Higher Education, Entrepreneurship, and Technical Training for service members with specific career goals.
5. Capstone Event – A final assessment of transition readiness, ensuring critical steps have been completed.

Shortcomings of the DOL Employment Workshop

The Department of Labor (DOL) Employment Workshop, a core element of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), falls short in preparing service members for post-military careers. The primary issue is its failure to address the fundamental differences between military and private sector environments. Service members often leave the military with ingrained thinking and decision-making patterns tailored to the military environment. The DOL workshop does not teach them how to recognize or adapt these patterns for success in the vastly different private sector workforce.

Without this foundational context, the workshop’s practical training—such as resume writing, job search strategies, and interview techniques—loses effectiveness. Service members attempt to apply familiar military tools in an unfamiliar environment, leaving them unprepared to navigate the private sector’s unique dynamics.

Solution: Private Sector Orientation Training Before the DOL Workshop

While TAP has been the government’s standard transition program since 1991, its effectiveness can be significantly improved by adding a crucial component: private sector orientation training delivered before the DOL Employment Workshop.

This training focuses on two essential areas:

1. Highlighting the profound differences between military and private sector environments.
2. Providing tools and frameworks to adapt thinking and decision-making for civilian workplace success.

Military service members are highly capable of adapting to new environments when given the right context and guidance. Private sector orientation training equips them with this foundation, making them more confident and better aligned with civilian workplace expectations. Once this transformation occurs, the practical elements of the DOL workshop, such as job search strategies and resume preparation, become far more effective.