CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED// ROUTINE R 221618Z JUL 22 MID200080049455U FM CNO WASHINGTON DC TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS NAVADMIN 160/22 PASS TO OFFICE CODES: FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/JUL// SUBJ/SKILLBRIDGE EMPLOYMENT SKILLS TRAINING GUIDANCE// REF/A/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/171359ZSEP15// REF/B/DOC/DOD/24JAN14// REF/C/DOC/ASN/26JUL13/// REF/D/DOC/USD/21NOV12/// REF/E/DOC/USC/1JAN22// REF/F/DOC/DOD/JUN2019// NARR/REF A IS NAVADMIN 222/15, SKILLBRIDGE EMPLOYMENT SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM. REF B IS DOD INSTRUCTION 1322.29, JOB TRAINING, EMPLOYMENT SKILLS TRAINING, APPRENTICESHIPS, AND INTERNSHIPS FOR ELIGIBLE SERVICE MEMBERS. REF C IS ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY MEMORANDUM, IMPLEMENTATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR SECTION 1143(E) OF TITLE 10, UNITED STATES CODE. REF D IS UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MEMORANDUM, DIRECTIVE-TYPE MEMORANDUM, IMPLEMENTING MANDATORY TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PARTICIPATION FOR ELIGIBLE SERVICE MEMBERS. REF E IS 10 U.S. CODE SECTION 1143. REF F IS THE DOD FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION VOLUME 7A.// RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN cancels and replaces reference (a), by clarifying program requirements, updating Sailor eligibility, instituting a centralized registration process, clarifying command approval procedures, and updating the SkillBridge point of contact. References (b) through (e) provide authority for the Navy to implement employment skills training and transition assistance programs. 2. The SkillBridge program is designed to help eligible members departing the Naval service. Reference (b) defines an eligible member as any member of the Armed Forces who has completed at least 180 days on Active Duty (AD) in the Armed Forces and is expected to be discharged or released from AD within 180 days of the date of commencement of participation in the SkillBridge program. Sailors may not extend their enlistment to complete a SkillBridge program. 3. To balance Sailor benefits and mission readiness, SkillBridge participation should not normally begin any earlier than 120 days prior to actual separation/retirement date. In no case shall SkillBridge participation begin any earlier than 180 days prior to actual separation/retirement date. Sailors may not use leave or any other authorized absence to begin a SkillBridge program greater than 180 days from separation. Any approved separation, terminal leave, and permissive temporary duty (TDY) shall occur following SkillBridge participation. Sailors will remain the responsibility of the parent command for administrative purposes. As such, SkillBridge participants must make weekly contact with their command point of contact for personnel accountability. Failure to maintain weekly contact may result in program termination and return to the permanent duty station (PDS) at the members expense. 4. Sailors must meet the following eligibility requirements: a. Be separating from the Navy and have sufficient time remaining under their contract to complete the program prior to established separation date. b. Have successfully passed their most recent physical fitness assessment. c. Be recommended for advancement or promotion and retention on most recent evaluation or fitness report. d. Have completed their Transition Assistance Program requirements. e. Have attended an ethics brief or completed a DoD (Department of Defense) approved ethics training presentation within the 12 months prior to the start of the SkillBridge program. f. Have not previously completed, be currently participating in, or had participation terminated from an employment skills training program. 5. SkillBridge is not an entitlement. Commanding officers (COs) and officers in charge with non-judicial punishment authority maintain final approval authority. COs have full authority to disapprove or modify participation based on mission requirements. COs should carefully consider command readiness when granting permission to participate in the program in light of the fact that personnel backfills are not normally available until the actual separation/retirement date of the participant. a. COs shall evaluate each request to participate in SkillBridge on the merits as they impact the individual Sailor and mission readiness. Commands shall not implement any additional restrictions on participation based on such criteria as rank/grade, education, skills, length of service, etc. b. Commands should establish a formal process to assess the impact of SkillBridge participation on mission readiness. c. SkillBridge participation need not align with the Sailors military skill set. d. Command policies or instructions should address application timelines, procedures and personnel accountability for participants, to include periodic contact with the command. e. Commands will place all SkillBridge participants on permissive TDY travel orders for the duration of their program until commencement of separation, terminal leave, and permissive TDY, if authorized. This applies to programs both outside and within the area of the Sailors PDS. f. SkillBridge is considered official duty, authorized to be completed during normal work days and hours. Commands will place Sailors in a duty- free status while participating in SkillBridge. 6. Sailors may only participate in a SkillBridge program with industry partners or employers that have an approved memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the DoD. A list of approved programs can be found on the SkillBridge web portal, located at https://skillbridge.osd.mil/organizations.htm. Organizations listed on the website are in good standing with DoD. COs will only approve participation through the end of the approved MOU in cases where a partners MOU will expire during a Sailors requested SkillBridge period. COs may extend a Sailors participation if the MOU is renewed prior to expiration. a. COs may not enter into an MOU to approve an employer or industry partner as a SkillBridge provider. b. Installation COs may enter into MOUs with DoD approved providers for the purpose of operating a SkillBridge program on base. c. A participation MOU or other similar agreement required by a SkillBridge provider to outline roles and responsibilities of each party (provider, Sailor, command) is authorized. 7. Sailors receiving special and incentive (S and I) pays who participate in SkillBridge will be treated as if they are on separation leave or long term TDY with respect to continued eligibility for S and I pays. If the policy for a particular S and I pay requires payments to stop when the member is on long term TDY or separation leave, commands must take action to stop the applicable S and I pay. For those S and I pays not required by policy to stop for long term TDY or separation leave, COs will carefully consider the impact to mission readiness due to the loss of the critical skill in question before approving SkillBridge. In line with reference (f), S and I pays are directly tied to incentivizing retention of critical skills for Navy missions, therefor COs are empowered to disapprove SkillBridge requests if they feel that allowing a Sailor to receive S and I pay during SkillBridge participation would inappropriately impact readiness. 8. Registration Procedures: a. To ensure accurate record keeping, effective immediately, any Sailor intending to participate in SkillBridge shall register with the OPNAV SkillBridge Registrar up to 365 days before expected date of separation. This shall be completed via encrypted email from the Sailor to the address in paragraph 11, with their command career counselor carbon copied. Email must include the Sailors name, rate/designator, paygrade, name of the SkillBridge provider, as well as type of program (e.g. internship, skills training, or apprenticeship), location and desired dates of the program. b. The OPNAV SkillBridge Registrar will record the Sailors intent to participate and respond to the Sailor and the command career counselor via email. This acknowledgement shall then be routed to the CO with the Sailors request to participate. c. COs may only approve SkillBridge requests from Sailors possessing acknowledgement of registration from the OPNAV SkillBridge Registrar. 9. Upon CO approval of a registered SkillBridge participant, the command will enter the Sailor into Fleet Training, Management and Planning System to record SkillBridge participation as early as possible. Course identification numbers for SkillBridge are S-3A-060 for programs between 1 and 60 days, S- 3A-0120 for courses between 61 and 120 days and S-3A-0180 for courses between 121 and 180 days. Commands must enter the date the Sailors SkillBridge program begins in the completion date field. The command should notify the OPNAV SkillBridge Registrar of any registered Sailor who was disapproved so that they can be removed from the database. 10. Use of travel funds to participate in SkillBridge is not authorized. Shipment of household goods is only permitted upon receipt of separation orders. 11. Direct all questions regarding SkillBridge policy to navy_skillbridge.fct(at)navy.mil or by phone at (703)604-5310. 12. This message will remain in effect until superseded or canceled, whichever occurs first. 13. Released by Vice Admiral Richard J. Cheeseman Jr., N1.// BT #0001 NNNN CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED//