Author: Tim Fry, Military Community Outreach Manager, Franklin Apprenticeships
As a 17-year combat veteran of the United States Airforce, I speak from firsthand experience when I say that the transition from the military to civilian life is one of the toughest challenges that men and women who serve our country will ever face.
The career paths in the military don’t always neatly translate to civilian life and the idea of starting over and learning a new field or pursuing a college degree can be daunting. For military dependents and spouses, it’s equally challenging. Unfortunately, many employers don’t want to hire someone who is going to be relocated every few years or who has the pressure of family commitments due to military deployments.
Over the past 18-months of being involved in the IBM Z® US Apprenticeship Accelerator program as part of the delivery team at Franklin Apprenticeships, I’ve had the opportunity to coach and support dozens of members of the military community – from veterans, transitioning service members and reservists to military spouses and dependents. In fact, one in five of the students that have been hired into IBM Z Apprenticeships are veterans. They have used the IBM Z Apprenticeship program to translate their military-learned skills and excel in a civilian career, while earning certifications.
IBM is dedicated to raising awareness of the IBM zSystems career path for the military community and is sponsoring an interactive, virtual event on June 29 at 12:30 EST to explore exciting enterprise computing career opportunities.  – 7-L.png)
At the event, Anthony, an IBM Z Apprentice, will share his story. He was an active-duty service member who was stationed overseas when he found Franklin Apprenticeships online. He applied, completed the training, and spoke with us about what he was looking for in his transition out of the military. Meanwhile, his wife, who was stateside, also applied, completed the training, interviewed, and was selected for an apprenticeship.
Fast forward to today, they have both been hired as IBM Z Apprentices by the Fortune 500 company Black Knight Inc. in Jacksonville, FL. They are now pursuing the same exciting career in tech and are gaining solid IT skills through the apprenticeship. This program allowed for a smooth transition for not just the service member, but also for his military spouse!
Some service members may have a tough time seeing similarities between their jobs in the military and a civilian job, but there are many transferrable skills from being a gunner, a Military Police Officer, or an aircraft mechanic that are valuable in a tech career. That is why I felt like it was my duty to take on a new role at Franklin Apprenticeships as a Military Program Manager. While my focus is Success Coaching, as a veteran myself, I have experienced and understand the difficulties of transitioning into the civilian sector. Without any education or guidance on what opportunities are out there, transitioning into a new career can be difficult.
Hard work, dedication and the right opportunity can put anyone on track to their dream career; and for many members of the military community, the right opportunity is an IBM Z Apprenticeship. We are honored to have the support and collaboration with IBM to turn dreams into the reality of rewarding careers for the military community.
So, IBM zSystems community, I hope you’ll help us spread the word about the event to anyone in your life who has served our country.
Register Today