Fort Bragg Soldiers Earn Industry-Recognized Credentials Through Registered Apprenticeship
Published: May 14, 2025
The transition from military service to civilian life presents unique challenges. Veterans often experience changes in routine, lifestyle, finances, and difficulties navigating the civilian workforce. Recognizing these hurdles, ApprenticeshipNC, the State Apprenticeship Agency, partnered with Fort Bragg to establish a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). This program provides active-duty service members stationed at Fort Bragg with a nationally recognized credential that validates the skills they acquired through their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS).
In the early 1990s, ApprenticeshipNC requested permission from the U.S. Department of Labor to register Fort Bragg, a military installation in Eastern North Carolina, as a Registered Apprenticeship sponsor. Since then, the installation has had nearly 8,000 RAP completers across 114 occupations, including aircraft electrical mechanics, cooks, homeland security specialists, bricklayers, human resource specialists, and guidance counselors. Currently, over 580 apprentices are enrolled in the program.
This Registered Apprenticeship is a valuable resource for military personnel. Active-duty service members receive prior credit for their Advanced Individual Training (AIT)—the instruction that prepared them for their MOS. This training substitutes the supplemental education required in civilian RAPs. Their on-the-job training is fulfilled by the duties they perform through their MOS.
When they complete their Registered Apprenticeships, service members receive a Journeyworker credential certifying their occupational skills mastery. Although the Journeyworker credential may not seem as impactful when compared to the commitment, discipline, and sacrifice military personnel demonstrate, it serves as a meaningful validation that their hard-earned skills are not only transferable, but valuable to success in the civilian workforce.
Chris Pittman, Interim Chief, Military Personnel Division, Fort Bragg Training and Education Center (BTEC), views Fort Bragg’s RAP as a boon for active-duty service members, saying, “The key thing about this program is that the soldiers can get a credential that recognizes their military training and experience. It prepares them for post-service success and employment.” Kristina Pellerito, Interim Education Services Officer, Fort Bragg Training and Education Center, echoed Mr. Pittman’s sentiments, stating, “It’s wonderful to see our soldiers being acknowledged for what they have achieved.”
Fort Bragg’s Registered Apprenticeship is distinctive—it was the first military installation-sponsored program registered by a State Apprenticeship Agency. Cassandra Royal, Registered Apprenticeship Consultant, ApprenticeshipNC, encourages other military installations to consider the pathway, saying, “It is a wonderful opportunity. This certificate is tangible proof of their [service members’] skills. It helps them market themselves to potential civilian employers when they do leave the military and enter the civilian workforce.”
Military personnel dedicate themselves to the protection of the United States. By offering these individuals the opportunity to earn credentials for their service, Fort Bragg and ApprenticeshipNC are ensuring they receive more than their country’s gratitude for their service. They are facilitating a pathway to career advancement, long-term stability, and a successful transition to civilian life.
Military installations interested in learning more about the program can contact Ms. Pellerito at kristina.m.pellerito.civ@army.mil
Active-duty service members who are stationed at Fort Bragg can learn more about registering their MOS as a RAP by contacting fortbragg@nccommunitycolleges.edu.
Note: Active-duty service members must be stationed at Fort Bragg to enroll and are only allowed to enroll in a RAP tied to their MOS.
About ApprenticeshipNC: Recognized by the Office of Apprenticeship to act on behalf of the U.S. Department of Labor, ApprenticeshipNC is the State Apprenticeship Agency authorized to register apprenticeship programs tailored to meet employers’ needs.
