With the current economic situation, the Navy's jobs, benefits and career opportunities are becoming even more attractive for those eligible for military service.
The Navy may have a real edge over the other services when it comes to signing on new recruits thanks to a wellestablished and growing program, the Navy Credentialing Opportunities OnLine or Navy COOL program, which was established at the Center for Information Dominance (CID) Corry Station in Pensacola, Fla., in 2006.
This program provides funding for Navy enlisted personnel to obtain civilian licenses and certifications that complement (and in many ways support) their Navy jobs or ratings. This is significant because Sailors now have a definite advantage in the civilian job market when they retire or when their enlistment ends.
The Navy COOL program also helps make the Navy a smart choice for young men and women who are considering serving their country, but are unsure which job they want or which branch of the U.S. Armed Forces they wish to serve in.
Navy COOL is a centralized, Webbased hub that consolidates information from numerous sources at the federal, state and local levels on certifications, licenses, apprenticeships and growth opportunities that correspond with each Navy rating, job and occupation. Originally modeled on a program by the Army, the Navy COOL program has taken on a life of its own and grown exponentially in the scope of certifications it offers to Sailors in the four years the program has been in existence. Navy COOL program supervisor Sam Kelley said this program has become more comprehensive than the Army's program because his team cross-linked every Navy specialty or rating with the Department of Labor to ensure the Navy offered at least one civilian certification that matched every job in the Navy. Navy COOL provides funding for Navy enlisted personnel (both active duty and Reserve) to obtain civilian licenses and certifications that are closely aligned to Navy jobs or ratings.
While it's true the Navy does need a large pool of applicants, it places an even higher priority on recruiting the best applicants possible. Kelley said someone who is interested in self-improvement is likely to be a go-getter and someone who would take advantage of all that Navy COOL offers. That's the kind of person the Navy is interested in recruiting and retaining.
"Credentialing within the Department of Navy is a relatively new concept but is paying huge dividends for our Sailors who have used the program," Kelley said.
In fact, the Navy COOL program has helped CID win a number of awards. These include the Naval Education and Training Command Excellence Award for 2010, the Navy Meritorious Unit Citation in 2009, American Society for Training and Development Award for 2008, Workforce Magazine’s Top 125 for 2010, and Workforce Management Magazine’s Optimas Award for 2009.
"I am extremely proud of the outstanding work performed by our Navy COOL team," CID Corry Station Commanding Officer Capt. Gary Edwards said. "They have done an absolutely great job of ensuring that each and every Sailor in the Navy can improve personally and professionally by having an opportunity to earn certifications."
The end result of the pursuit of a civilian certification is that the Sailor's individual professional knowledge and skill set usually increases due to the extra preparation time required for certification examinations and ongoing maintenance of that certification.
"These additional skills may not necessarily be performed or taught in the Navy's formal training pipeline," Kelley said, "but are skills performed by the Sailors’ civilian counterparts. The real benefit to the Navy is having a Sailor with increased individual proficiency as a result of gaining and maintaining additional industry-recognized skills."
Undoubtedly some Sailors are leaving the Navy with newly minted credentials in tow, but Navy COOL program manager Keith Boring is not overly concerned by these occasional losses.
A trained and certified worker, Boring said, is surely contributing to society in a positive way, too, and that is not a bad thing because it is helping to keep the country strong. Plus, he said, someone who is successful in the civilian sector after receiving Navy training and having the Navy pay for his or her civilian certifications is a living, breathing recruitment poster for the Navy.
All Sailors can benefit from Navy COOL, even those potential Sailors who have yet to raise their hand and take the oath to serve their country. Navy COOL can help make active-duty Sailors better at their present job, too.
At some point in their careers, whether they serve for three years or 30, Sailors must eventually take off their uniform and rejoin the civilian sector. Navy COOL will help make that transition easier and provide the necessary tools for that Sailor-turned-civilian to not only survive but thrive in what may be an unfamiliar civilian life.
"This program is a win for the Sailor, the Navy and the civilian Department of Labor workforce," Kelley said.
With a staff of more than 1,050 military, civilian and contracted staff members, CID Corry Station oversees the development and administration of more than 168 courses at 16 learning sites throughout the United States and in Japan. CID Corry Station provides training for more than 19,000 members of the U.S. Armed Services and allied forces each year.
For more information visit the official Navy COOL website at https://www.cool.navy.mil.
Gary Nichols works for the Center for Information Dominance Corry Station public affairs office.