Process and programs

How to vet any SkillBridge program

One question to ask the coordinator, what each answer means, and the three red flags that should end the conversation.

How to vet any SkillBridge program. Ask the program coordinator one question: what percentage of fellows received a full-time offer in the last 12 months? A conversion rate of 70 percent or more is a strong bet and signals a real pipeline. Between 40 and 70 percent is reasonable but you should go in with a backup plan. Below 40 percent means the company is using fellows as free labor. Refusing to disclose the number, or saying they do not track it, is itself the answer, and you should walk, because DoD oversight changes specifically targeted programs that used fellows without offering real career outcomes. The other two red flags are a generalist placement with no role match, since a real program assigns you to a hiring manager on day one, and any provider that does not appear in the official directory, because if they are not listed they are not approved. Cross-check every provider against skillbridge.mil slash locations.htm. Fellow-submitted reviews at ratemyskb.com and a LinkedIn People search for the company name plus SkillBridge will find alumni you can ask directly.

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Put it in a brief, a TAP class, a unit newsletter, a VSO handout or your own site. No permission needed and nothing to fill out. Credit it with a link so readers can find the source and check the numbers themselves. Do not sell it on its own, and do not edit the figures and leave our name on it.

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Source: How to vet any SkillBridge program — Military Transition Toolkit (https://www.militarytransitiontoolkit.com/diagrams/skillbridge-vetting-scorecard)

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  <img src="https://www.militarytransitiontoolkit.com/diagrams/skillbridge-vetting-scorecard.png"
       alt="How to vet any SkillBridge program. Ask the program coordinator one question: what percentage of fellows received a full-time offer in the last 12 months? A conversion rate of 70 percent or more is a strong bet and signals a real pipeline. Between 40 and 70 percent is reasonable but you should go in with a backup plan. Below 40 percent means the company is using fellows as free labor. Refusing to disclose the number, or saying they do not track it, is itself the answer, and you should walk, because DoD oversight changes specifically targeted programs that used fellows without offering real career outcomes. The other two red flags are a generalist placement with no role match, since a real program assigns you to a hiring manager on day one, and any provider that does not appear in the official directory, because if they are not listed they are not approved. Cross-check every provider against skillbridge.mil slash locations.htm. Fellow-submitted reviews at ratemyskb.com and a LinkedIn People search for the company name plus SkillBridge will find alumni you can ask directly."
       width="720" height="500">
  <figcaption>
    How to vet any SkillBridge program. Source:
    <a href="https://www.militarytransitiontoolkit.com/diagrams/skillbridge-vetting-scorecard">Military Transition Toolkit</a>
  </figcaption>
</figure>

Where this comes from

This diagram is drawn from SkillBridge companies hiring, by industry, which cites the regulations and rate tables behind every figure shown here. If a rate changes, the guide and the diagram are updated together.

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