By simply fulfilling the requirements of their rating, Sailors may be eligible to receive an apprenticeship certificate recognized in the civilian sector just by registering with the United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP).
"All you have to do is just your everyday job," said Kenneth Ledbetter, subject matter expert of the USMAP Registrar from the Naval Education and Training Professional Development Technology Center, Pensacola, Fla. "You're taking your training from the Navy in your daily job, and you're being given the chance to get your apprenticeship completed and earn a journeyman certificate through the Department of Labor."
USMAP has undergone numerous changes since it was developed in 1976. Some of the latest enhancements to the program include online registration and online program follow-up for its members. Most recently, the program was realigned to fit under the Certifications and Qualifications vector of the Five-Vector Model (5VM), which has been continually under development since it was first launched June 23, 2003.
The 5VM is accessible through Navy Knowledge Online. It is divided into five vectors (Professional Development; Personal Development; Military Education and Leadership; Certifications and Qualifications; and Performance), allowing Sailors to keep track of their careers in the Navy and receive credit for their accomplishments.
USMAP, managed by the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), is a formal military training program that provides active duty Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy service members the opportunity to improve their job skills and complete their civilian apprenticeship requirements while they are on active duty. Service members get recognition for their jobs in the civilian world just by logging their hours during on-the-job training (OJT) and meeting the knowledge specifications of the program. According to Ledbetter, USMAP is the largest apprenticeship program in the military, with 13,054 members enrolling in fiscal year 2005.
"The basic requirements are: you have to be active duty, working on a trade, have a high school diploma or GED, and you have to work toward completing 'A' or 'C' schools or any courses relating to your rate that will equate to the required hours of classroom instruction," Ledbetter said.
The Department of Labor requires 144 hours of classroom instruction for every 2,000 hours of OJT. Completion times vary from one to four years. The trades average from 2,000 to 10,000 hours. An average Sailor doing an eight-hour job can complete 2,000 hours in a year.
"We have 124 trades in which we offer apprenticeship certification. That covers every rating in the military except for three: air traffic controller, cryptologic technician (interpretive) and musician," Ledbetter said.
Most trades take up to four years to complete (8,000 hours). Sailors start logging hours as soon as they register for the program. It's important to register for the program as early as possible, since hours must be tracked as they are met, though higher ranking Sailors will receive a waiver for up to 50 percent of the OJT requirements.
"Providing our Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen with opportunities to validate their skills through the USMAP certification is a vivid example of the Navy's commitment for life-long learning," said Vice Adm. Kevin Moran, commander of NETC. "We are making the Navy an employer of choice for people looking for career opportunities that offer long-term growth potential while in uniform — and beyond — if they decide to move on to careers in the private sector."
For more information, Sailors are encouraged to discuss USMAP with their career counselors and visit USMAP online at https://usmap.cnet.navy.mil/.