“VA Affiliates and NAUI Dive Centers, NAUI is proud to announce the NAUI and the Department of Defense (DoD) SkillBridge Partnership. We welcome you and your teams to share these programs with your students, customers, and community so we can give back to our nation’s heroes through these donation campaigns and deliberate partnerships.”

– Ray Reneau,
Director of Armed Forces Relations and Training

On June 1, 2021, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense authorized NAUI to participate in the DoD SkillBridge Program. The SkillBridge Program is an opportunity for Service members to gain valuable civilian work experience through specific industry training, apprenticeships, or internships during their last 180 days of service.

What does this mean for you? SkillBridge is an opportunity for you to access and leverage the world’s most highly trained and motivated workforce at no cost for up to 180 days. Service members who participate in SkillBridge receive their military compensation and benefits, while you, our NAUI Approved VA Testing Centers, will provide the training and work experience. Our internship allows service members to use your G.I. Bill® to become a NAUI Dive professional at one of our 65 NAUI VA approved testing centers around the world.

After the service members become a NAUI dive professional they can stay and work for the NAUI VA approved testing center to learn how to run a business, learn about sales and gear maintenance, or can be placed on a liveaboard in the Caribbean or Bahamas.

There are thousands of positions around the world where they can use their new license and experience to start a new chapter and/or just explore something they have never done before. If they end up liking what they are doing at their specific location, there may be an opportunity for them to be hired on after their internship is completed (all based on the need for each location).

Through the SkillBridge and NAUI partnership, you can volunteer to help Service members bridge the gap between their end of service and the beginning of their civilian careers.

Visit https://skillbridge.osd.mil/ to learn about the DOD SkillBridge program.

Have more questions? Contact Ray Reneau, Director of Armed Forces Relations and Training, at creneau@naui.org for more information about the NAUI and the Department of Defense (DoD) SkillBridge Partnership!