VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. - Military members can access the new Transition GPS, or Goals, Plans, Success program at any time and any place through a new virtual transition assistance program, Navy officials responsible for developing the system announced Nov. 21.
The program, available on the Joint Knowledge Online (JKO) website, provides a service-wide standardized approach to strengthening career readiness for troops who are exiting the military.
Service members located in isolated or geographically separated locations and those with short-fused separations are among the troops who will benefit the most from the virtual Transition GPS curriculum on JKO. Moreover, family members unable to attend classroom-based training can access the program on the Department of Labor’s Portal virtually.
The opportunity to deploy the Transition GPS program via JKO was personal for Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) employee Mike Barnum, JKO's Chief of Knowledge Services Branch. Barnum’s command is at Combat Direction Systems Activity, Dam Neck.
"It was an honor to work on this project and support those service members who are trying to make that critical transition into civilian life,” said Barnum, a veteran with a son and son-in-law currently serving in the armed forces. “It is particularly rewarding to know that JKO was the platform of choice."
In the past, transition programs have been optional. However, legislation passed by Congress late last year called for improvements to the transition assistance program in addition to making it mandatory for all but a few senior service members and some troops with immediate work opportunities. This led to the creation of an interagency task force that conceptualized the Transition GPS approach to strengthening career readiness for post military careers.
One of the challenges the task force faced when developing the new five-day mandatory program was the required classroom participation. Many service members couldn't take the required classes due to deployments or being underway.
That's when JKO got involved.
JKO experts showed us that the virtual capability already existed, said Mr. Wayne Boswell, director of Business Operations, Transition to Veterans Program Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense Personnel and Readiness.
“We saw that the GPS curriculum could be deployed in the same system where other joint training is provided,” said Boswell, adding, "service members wouldn't have to learn how to access a new system."
The joint training resources provided by the JKO portal includes online training courses, seminars, video library, and communities of interest. Training on JKO is also tracked, reported and managed for individual service member's unique training requirements.
NAVSEA employees — about 75 percent of the JKO team — provide systems development and support to the portal.
“We continue to be amazed by JKO's capacity and by their willingness to help us," said Dr. Susan Kelly, director, Transition to Veterans Program Office, OSD Personnel and Readiness. "We are very, very thankful for the professionalism and expertise of the JKO team. They were eager to help us and worked through some of the barriers. They came to Washington and gave a quick demonstration and blew everyone away."
In 2012, veterans as a group had a 7.4 percent unemployment rate and about 800,000 veterans were currently looking for work nationwide, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. About one-fourth of that group is post-9/11 veterans.
For more information on Transition GPS, visit http://www.ffsp.navy.mil or check with your local Fleet and Family Support Center. The Transition GPS Virtual Curriculum introduction video is located at http://youtube/5asIU341FmQ.
To access the Transition GPS Virtual curriculum and instructions, visit https://jkodirect.jten.mil.
Fleet and Family Support Centers will provide a DVD of the curriculum to service members who are unable to access the internet.