AstrumU, a leading AI-backed skills verification company based in Bellevue, Wash., has announced it is partnering with Onward Ops to further its mission of supporting active-duty service members in their journey back into civilian life. Onward Ops is an initiative created by national nonprofit organization the Expiration Term of Service Sponsorship Program (ETS-SP). AstrumU will use its platform to provide data-driven job matching to help transitioning service members land quality employment with Onward Ops’s partner employers.
“This partnership is a big deal,” said Jon Miller, director of employment at Onward Ops (ETS-SP). “Thanks to AstrumU, we can match a service member to a list of quality jobs, and we can explain why they’re qualified, all before they leave the military. We want service members to become veterans on their own terms. That starts with robust support and good data, which this partnership between Onward Ops and AstrumU will provide.”
Nearly 200,000 military service members transition into civilian life each year, and the ability for them to translate their skills into impactful employment is often a challenge. ETS-SP launched Onward Ops in May 2023 to help empower active duty-military and veterans with the tools, resources and mentorship needed to thrive as they transition to civilian life. The program assesses service member needs across multiple domains – from employment and educational goals to family and social needs – creating a personal transition plan for each enrollee, informed by best practices across the veteran support space and validated by veterans who themselves have successfully made the return to civilian life. The program is offered at no cost to service members up to a year before they depart the military. To date, more than 16,000 service members have enrolled in the program.
A key service offered by Onward Ops is focused on matching job-seeking service members to job openings with partner employers. During this process, time is spent manually sorting through the background of each client to get a handle on their skills and expertise to match these service members with quality jobs. The partnership with AstrumU will help automate this process.
“Through our AI-powered Data Platform, we’ll be able to help Onward Ops cut down on the amount of time spent on job matching, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of their current process while also generating data that will connect qualified candidates with the right employers,” said Mike McCorkendale, a veteran and military liaison at AstrumU. “Many veterans transitioning to civilian jobs don’t understand how their military experience can translate into skills needed to fill in-demand civilian positions. We are proud to partner with Onward Ops and ETS-SP to change this mindset and properly prepare military members for high-quality civilian careers.”
As part of the collaboration, AstrumU’s AI-powered Data Platform will be used to create Verified Skills Profiles for service members enrolled in the Onward Ops program. These profiles utilize advanced algorithms to analyze skills and competencies gained through previous education and work experiences, while translating military-to-civilian skills and facilitating tailored education recommendations and career pathways for these individuals as they transition to civilian life. Through this process, AstrumU will use concrete data to quickly and efficiently identify how well a service member’s skills align with any job profile and connect employers with candidates that possess the skills needed to excel in the open position. The data can also identify any skills gaps between an individual’s skill profile and each job profile and make upskilling and education recommendations, as needed.
“By partnering with Onward Ops, we are hoping to not only increase veteran placement in the workforce but also connect transitioning service members with the right career pathways where they will thrive,” said John Kaiser, a veteran and general manager, business development, at AstrumU. “Working together, we’ll help bridge the gap between the skills learned in the military and skills needed in the workforce and help many more service members find quality employment.”
For more information about AstrumU and its partnership with Onward Ops, visit https://astrumu.com/ or https://onwardops.org/.
