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What is a Transition Assistance Program?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

A Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is designed to help people who are transitioning from a period of military service to the civilian world. Specifically, most TAPs focus on helping veterans enter the civilian job market, using a variety of tools to assist vets with their job searches and to connect them with potential employers. Many militaries around the world offer some form of Transition Assistance Program, and details are usually made readily available in the offices of the program on base and in veteran's assistance centers.

These programs can help people who are separating or retiring from the service, as well as disabled veterans, providing tailored services for individual situations. A Transition Assistance Program typically offers workshops for departing military members which talk about how to look for jobs, how to prepare resumes, what to do on a job interview, and how to connect with the best possible jobs. Many programs offer advice, job listing services, and assistance for spouses and families as well.

Disabled transition assistance programs focus on veterans who have been wounded in combat.
Disabled transition assistance programs focus on veterans who have been wounded in combat.

In some cases, a Transition Assistance Program may help department service members with house hunts, moving costs, and other elements of the transition back into civilian life. Especially for career military members who are retiring, the change can be startling and hard to get used to, as the military has a very specific social structure which is markedly different from that in the civilian world. These individuals may not be familiar, for example, with many aspects of the job hunting process, from where to look for jobs to what to put on a resume.

Some transition assistance programs help former servicemembers find suitable employment.
Some transition assistance programs help former servicemembers find suitable employment.

In the United States, the Department of Veteran's Affairs states that people who participate in the TAP find jobs around three weeks earlier than those who do not. Participating in a Transition Assistance Program can also help someone secure a more suitable job with higher wages and a congenial, military-friendly workplace. Veterans have unique sets of skills and abilities which many workplaces are eager to harness, and a TAP program can help potential employers connect with suitable job candidates.

Some tuition assistance programs are designed to help the elderly go back to school and gain new skills.
Some tuition assistance programs are designed to help the elderly go back to school and gain new skills.

In a Disabled Transition Assistance Program (DTAP), special attention is given to veterans who may face unique challenges because of disabilities caused by their military service. These programs help disabled veterans connect with services designed specifically for them, and they also encourage disabled veterans to find jobs which are suitable for them. In regions with laws which protect people with disabilities from discrimination, a DTAP can show veterans how to access jobs fairly and how to fight cases of suspected discrimination.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

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    • Disabled transition assistance programs focus on veterans who have been wounded in combat.
      By: belahoche
      Disabled transition assistance programs focus on veterans who have been wounded in combat.
    • Some transition assistance programs help former servicemembers find suitable employment.
      By: shiva
      Some transition assistance programs help former servicemembers find suitable employment.
    • Some tuition assistance programs are designed to help the elderly go back to school and gain new skills.
      By: De Visu
      Some tuition assistance programs are designed to help the elderly go back to school and gain new skills.