Military does not collect comprehensive data on its job program for departing service members

The data does not exist. 

That’s what the Government Accountability Office said on Aug. 22 in a report discussing service member participation in a Defense Department program that enables military members to train for a civilian job during the final months of their service. 

Specifically, GAO found the military collects some data for the SkillBridge program but in an ad hoc rather than a comprehensive manner. For example, there was no tangible department-level data for the program or information on the number of employment offers it has provided.  

Part of the reason was the varied data collection practices among the armed forces. The Army began standardizing its data for the program last year, while the Air Force, Space Force, Navy and Marine Corps had to manually retrieve data from separate sources. The Coast Guard doesn’t currently have the resources to track SkillBridge data at all, though it may utilize the Navy’s data system in the future. 

“More fully leveraging available information would better position the military services to identify potential shortcomings with the SkillBridge program or challenges facing service members participating in the program and why those challenges may occur,” investigators wrote. “Further, it would allow the military services to develop tailored and effective corrective action plans, and to hold themselves accountable for implementing such plans, as appropriate.”

The watchdog recommended that DOD update guidance for the program to include what types of data should be tracked by the military branches. DOD said it would follow that recommendation as well as related ones to ensure that each of the services follows the new guidance. 

SkillBridge is a voluntary program that allows service members who have less than 180 days before they transition out of the military to participate in civilian job and employment training. More than 22,500 individuals either enrolled in or completed the program in fiscal 2022, and almost 12,000 service members have participated through the first six months of fiscal 2024

Before applying to SkillBridge, service members generally must complete the mandatory transition assistance program, which provides information on subjects like career readiness and veterans’ benefits. 

Service members are required to start TAP no later than one year before they depart from the military. However GAO has previously reported that approximately 70% of members begin TAP less than one year before their separation date. 

TAP officials told GAO investigators that this delayed start can prevent interested service members from participating in SkillBridge as well as other transition resources.  

Mission readiness was also a factor affecting participation in Skillbridge, the report said. Military leaders told investigators that an inability to backfill active service positions in their units during an individual’s participation in SkillBridge was a significant barrier to more service members taking advantage of the program. 

GAO reported in July that a DOD program to help service members leaving the military continue accessing mental health services was failing to connect with most of the individuals who are enrolled in the program.