Photo By Chief Petty Officer Jeff Atherton | 170322-N-AP176-009 MILLINGTON, Tenn. (March 22, 2017) Representatives from Navy...... read more read more
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By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jeff Atherton, Naval Support Activity Mid-South Public Affairs
MILLINGTON, Tenn. -- Representatives from Navy Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) visited Millington, Tennessee, March 21-23, to discuss the possibilities and benefits of the program with Sailors.
For many civilian jobs, young men and women spend years learning about their jobs before they ever get a chance to put that education to work. From college to internships and climbing the corporate ladder, many careers involve slowly learning a trade and picking up skills for a decade or more before an individual finds themselves in a leadership position. And then there is the Navy.
When civilians enter Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, they begin the nine-week journey to becoming a Sailor. At initial training, or “A” School, they gain the basic skills needed to work in their assigned job or “rating.” They are given a crash course in leadership and sent to their first duty station with the expectation that they will quickly become a subject matter expert in their field.
The skills and education Sailors receive is often comparable to the training expected of civilian workers in the same field. However, translating the acronyms and naming conventions unique to Navy ratings and jobs can be a challenge to employers in the civilian world.
Navy COOL meets that challenge by helping Sailors map their skillsets to related civilian licenses and credentials. “The purpose of this visit is to increase awareness, show opportunities that Sailors have and motivate them to pursue the credentials through Navy COOL,” said Thom Seith, a program analyst for the program.
Navy COOL’s interactive website allows Sailors to explore credential opportunities associated with their rating or with a collateral duty. For example, there are 21 different certifications for Master-at-Arms Sailors, including Certified Crime Scene Investigator and Industrial Security Professional. For command fitness leaders, certifications such as Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Sports and Fitness Nutrition Specialist are available.
“Sailors are doing these jobs, but they need to have civilian certifications so they can show they have the proficiency and competency at industry-recognized standards, as do their civilian counterparts in the private sector,” said Seith.
The program covers the testing fee for the certification, which sometimes can be hundreds of dollars. With 1,875 funded credentialing opportunities available, every enlisted Sailor has at least one credential he or she can earn. More than 1,500 credentialing opportunities are mapped to officer designators.
“This is a program that every single Sailor in the Navy should utilize,” said Command Master Chief Marilyn Kennard, Naval Support Activity Mid-South. “Any kind of education and certification will help on evaluations, promotion and leadership and for Sailors transitioning from the Navy. These certifications will make you more marketable in the civilian sector.”
The Millington visit was part of Navy COOL’s tour of major fleet concentration areas to educate Sailors about the program. The schedule for upcoming COOL brief opportunities is available at http://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/news/briefs.htm.
For more information on Navy COOL, visit https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn or contact a Navy COOL representative at navycool@navy.mil or (850) 452-6683.
| Date Taken: | 03.23.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 03.28.2017 11:01 |
| Story ID: | 228304 |
| Location: | MILLINGTON, TN, US |
| Web Views: | 115 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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