SkillBridge Program

• Participating company must be an NPMA member who has been operating for at least 3 years.
• Pay an annual administrative fee of $200 (non-refundable).

 

The NPMA Member Company:

• Is responsible for providing NPMA with the required data to apply for and renew the SkillBridge partnership.
• Will be subject to all DoD SkillBridge requirements.
• Agrees to abide by the predetermined training requirements for the service technician role.
• May assume direct management of this partnership if desired.
• May discontinue participation through NPMA at any time.

 

Spring Materials Deadline: March 21, 2025

The following items must be completed in order to apply for partnership consideration:

1. Payment of the Annual Administrative Fee: $200 
2. Grant Permission to NPMA to act as your SkillBridge partnership representative. 
3. Complete the SkillBridge Employer Ethics Brief. Must be completed before completing the Company Information Form.
4. Complete the Company Information Form.

Required documents to upload to the Company Information Form:

1. SkillBridge Employer Ethics Brief certificate of completion
2. Secretary of State company verification. (This can be found on your state government website.)

 

 

SkillBridge participants are not on a fixed timeline. They tend to seek internship opportunities close to either their separation date or their terminal leave date. Your company will be contacted by NPMA once the service member reaches out to the Workforce Development Department and indicates the company they wish to engage with for their internship.

1. Service Member Contacts NPMA
   - NPMA shares available companies
   - Service Member indicates preferred company and location
2. NPMA Contacts Company POC with Opportunity
   - Verifies that the company can accommodate training within the time period
   - Verifies the company is likely to have an open full-time position to offer at the end of the internship
3. NPMA Connects Company and Service Member
   - Company POC schedules an interview
   - Company determines if they would like to move forward with the service member
   - Start and end dates of the internship are agreed upon
4. NPMA Initiates an Offer
   - Service member finalizes approval process with their education office and commanding officer
   - Service Member provides NPMA with approval documentation
   - Service Member completes any company required paperwork/ screening
5. Service Member Starts Internship
   - NPMA checks in on progress, provides support when needed
6. Internship Concludes
   - Training company completes the final evaluation, offer of employment upon successful completion

Name a champion.

• Success depends on dedicated people or a person from your company to be the advocate and liaison between NPMA and service members. This SkillBridge program champion or point of contact to works closely with the service member, your company training team and the NPMA Workforce Development Department.
• This person could be a military veteran on your team, someone on your hiring team, even the CEO! They do not necessarily need to have hiring responsibilities, but they would serve as the advocate for the program and potential interns. 

Quick responses are our superpower.

• If your company is offered the opportunity to interview and consider a service member for an internship- act quickly!
• Many of our interns shared that our quick engagement from the time they sent in an inquiry to the time we connect them with a host company for an interview is why they commit to the NPMA program for their SkillBridge opportunity.
• Many of our interns did not specifically look for opportunities in Pest Control- They search for opportunities in locations where they wish to live.  

Involve Military Veterans.

• If you have military veterans or military spouses on your team, include them in the interview and onboarding process for the SkillBridge participant.
• These people are your best ambassadors to make that personal connection and help make the transition to civilian life and career a smooth and supported one.  

Have a plan.

• Document and share the training plan with the incoming intern. Service members appreciate knowing exactly what they are expected to learn.
• Your training plan should include the goal of preparing the service member to pass the state licensure exam.

What is SkillBridge?

SkillBridge is an opportunity for Service members to gain valuable civilian work experience through job training, employment skills training, apprenticeship, and internship opportunities during the last 180 days of military service prior to release from active duty. DOD SkillBridge connects service members with industry partners and real-world job experiences that are designed to aid the service member in finding meaningful and gainful employment after discharge.

Where do service members find our opportunities? 

Most service members search for opportunities based on the location where they wish to reside after separating from their service on the SkillBridge Listing site. NPMA engages in extensive digital campaigns and directs people to our Military Program site for more information. 

What are the requirements regarding employment post-completion of a DOD SkillBridge program? 

DOD SkillBridge programs provide eligible service members with job training and career development opportunities to acquire employment skills, knowledge, and/or abilities to assist service members with job opportunities in the civilian sector. DOD SkillBridge industry partners' training programs must offer a high probability of post-service employment with the industry partner or other employers in a field related to the opportunity. However, DOD SkillBridge participants are not entitled to a job with the specific industry partner because of completing the DOD SkillBridge program.

Is the NPMA SkillBridge program partner responsible for a participating service member's medical care, disability, and workman's compensation if they are injured or die while participating in the SkillBridge program? 

No. The service member remains employed by the Department of Defense. The service member's parent service will continue to be responsible for all pay and benefits for the member during their period of participation in the SkillBridge program.

Is there a cost paid by the service member to participate in this program? 

No. The service member participates at no cost. They may not use their GI Bill or any other means of paying for any part of this program. Any fees are the sole responsibility of the NPMA SkillBridge Program company participant.

Does the unit/command remain responsible for the service member while they participate in a SkillBridge program? 

Yes. The assigned unit/command retains responsibility of the service member while they participate in a SkillBridge program. In some instances, SkillBridge program managers may be able to assist units/commands in monitoring service members. However, program managers cannot replace or assume the administrative, ethical, or legal responsibilities of the service member's commander.

Can SkillBridge partners require a service member to sign non-compete agreements?

Service members should not sign a non-compete agreement to participate in a SkillBridge program. Any partner that asks or requires service members to sign a non-compete agreement may jeopardize their ability to participate as a SkillBridge partner.

Can the unit command authorize participation in a training program more than 50 miles from the member's duty station? 

Yes. Commanders or installation-level SkillBridge points of contact can use the Contact Us page on this site to obtain details about service-specific guidance on travel.

How was the training plan and job description developed?

NPMA worked with a group of NPMA member subject matter experts to develop a universal job description and training plan that most, if not all, NPMA members could reasonably agree to and train from.

Does my company need to provide the training plan topics in a specific order? 

No. The Pest Control Service Technician training plan is an outline of everything an intern will learn during their internship. Participating companies in the NPMA SkillBridge Program must provide training to SkillBridge participants on the topic areas listed below. Unless noted, on-the-job training can be conducted in any order within the 8-10 weeks of the program. The goal of the training is to educate the trainee to know/recall facts and advance to a level of does/performs as appropriate in accordance with your state licensure requirements. In other words, if there is a licensure requirement to perform a task, the trainee’s ability to understand a process and not perform it demonstrates proficiency in that task.

Are service members able to participate in opportunities other than the location where they are stationed? 

Yes. Service members are authorized to participate at locations and installations other than where they are currently assigned. The service member is responsible for his or her own travel to and from their home installation including if recalled by a unit commander for duty, as well as final out-processing requirements. Each service and/or command may establish specific requirements.

Can service members receive gifts or travel benefits or similar perks while participating in SkillBridge?

As a rule, service members may not accept gifts, travel benefits (transportation, lodging, meals) or similar perks from a SkillBridge industry partner. However, they may be accepted if available to ALL participants (including members of the general public) from the SkillBridge partner.

Example 1:
A military service member participating in a SkillBridge internship with Company X while in a permissive TDY status. In addition to service members, the internship includes members of the public. If Company X offers to pay for the service member's airfare and lodging/meals while participating in the internship, the service member may accept the offer if it is also extended to the participating members of the public.

Example 2:

Near the end of the SkillBridge internship, the participating service member is invited to interview with Company X at its headquarters in another state. Company X HQ offers to pay for your interview travel expenses. However, members of the public who also participate in the internship are not provided travel expenses when invited to an interview. Because the interview travel expenses are not offered to all invitees, the service member may NOT accept the travel expenses from Company X to attend the interview at the HQ. Service members and their Chain of Command should discuss the unique circumstances of any gift/benefits offer with their servicing Legal Office before accepting them. 

Do military installations make lodging space available in military barracks for those who want to participate in a SkillBridge opportunity that is outside of a member's geographic home base?

The services may make barracks or other similar lodging facilities available to service members participating in a SkillBridge opportunity without charge. Current guidance in DoDI 1322.29 provides that the "Military Departments will not spend DOD appropriations for JTEST-AI (SkillBridge) programs." This provision does not prohibit the services from making such lodging space available. Installation commanders may authorize otherwise unoccupied barracks, on a space available basis, without charge to any service members participating in SkillBridge opportunities while on permissive TDY outside of their geographic home area.