JMCI Uses Groundbreaking Tech to Transition Soldiers into Civilian Jobs

Fort Riley service members transitioning to civilian life in Junction City, Kansas, just got a powerful new tool through the Joint Military/Civilian Innovation (JMCI). The project is a collaboration between the City, Fort Riley and a network of large regional employers, including T-Mobile; facility service and construction solutions provider P1 Group, Inc; and Evergy, the largest electrical utility company in the state.

As a free program for service members at Fort Riley and Veterans, they can use a career advising platform by AstrumU, SkillSet, to identify civilian careers across the network of regional employers that may be the best fit for them. 

“The talents of America’s servicemen and women are far too valuable to be overlooked,” said Christopher Hughes, AstrumU Senior Military Advisor. “AstrumU is playing a crucial role in connecting servicemembers with roles that honor the training and experience they’ve had in the military. Using data science, the AstrumU platform analyzes the skillsets of military men and women leaving active duty with the needs of employers looking to hire. In this process, we are able to match them with right-fit career opportunities and identify skills gaps that can be bridged with additional training and education. This work is about offering the men and women of our military the resources they need to make the transition into civilian life as seamless as possible.”

Soldiers who use the advising platform will see how combinations of their military experiences and credentials can translate to skills they can use in current job openings and career paths in the area.

According to Hughes, AstrumU’s platform ingests verified data directly from employers, educational providers, and participating service members to understand — and predict — how specific skills, credentials, and experiences translate into career outcomes.

Troy Carlson, President & CEO, Initiatives, Inc., further explained what JMCI would accomplish using the AstrumU platform. “For the Soldiers, the JMCI will assist Fort Riley to dramatically improve a Soldier’s reintroduction into the civilian workforce using the one-of-a-kind AI translation engine. It will help Soldiers understand their value in the civilian workforce with a personalized AstrumU transition map when they come out of the Army. This provides a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) translation engine without bias, ensuring the true value of Soldiers and Veterans are realized in the civilian job market.” 

Carlson explained the benefit to Junction City/Geary County area companies. “The JMCI will assist partner businesses to find talent from Fort Riley and the regional Veteran and military population by placing them, with precision, into in-demand roles. The JMCI will ultimately provide an Army Transition Center of Excellence that effectively connects highly qualified Soldiers with high-demand civilian jobs in Kansas and across the nation.”

JMCI’s vision is to effectively transition 2,200 to 2,600 exiting Soldiers annually from Fort Riley into 21st-century jobs using a 21st-century career transition tool. Carlson shared that of the 3,600 to 4,100 soldiers in Fort Riley’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP) each year, the most conservative numbers show that approximately 2,200 soldiers end up leaving Fort Riley while the rest opt to remain in the military. Of those exiting, 7.8 percent stay in Junction City/Geary County.

“Today, many jobs can be done in Junction City via remote work, keeping them in the local economy,” said Carlson. “This local economic impact will increase significantly over time.” Part of JMCI’s vision is that talent drives innovation and attracts outside investment. 

Carlson said that the annual 3,600 to 4,100 soldiers in Fort Riley’s TAP is Junction City’s “ace in the hole.” He said JMCI’s strategy is to build a talent transition and retention infrastructure emanating from Junction City that connects and provides talent for the region and connects Junction City to outside companies that may want to invest in the community. The second step of the program will focus on providing the same services to Soldiers’ spouses and their high school and older-aged children.

“This initiative is about developing a new and more precise understanding of how the skills developed through military service can translate into the broader world of work,” said Hughes.

Service members can enroll in JMCI and discover more about AstrumU’s SkillSet advising platform here.

To learn more about Initiatives, Inc., explore their website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Explore Junction City-Geary County Economic Development Commission’s tools for site selectors, businesses, and workforce development here. Contact us at 785-762-1976 or edc@jcacc.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.