MOVE program joins DoD career training initiative

A statewide program for military members transitioning to civilian life is getting a boost from a federal career training initiative.

Military Outreach and Veterans Engagement (MOVE), launched in 2019 by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, has joined the U.S. Department of Defense’s SkillBridge initiative. SkillBridge provides retiring and transitioning service members with access to industry training programs offered by employers nationwide.

Jacob Key, MOVE program manager for NCBiotech, said that MOVE's inclusion in SkillBridge gives it a national profile for those interested in training opportunities for life sciences manufacturing careers in North Carolina.

“If you’re stationed in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and you happen to find NCBiotech on SkillBridge and you’re planning on going back to North Carolina once you leave the military, you may realize there’s a great career opportunity for you,” he said. “We can get you connected to it.”

Training for a new career

Service members can apply for and begin industry training, apprenticeship programs, or internships through SkillBridge within 180 days of departure. The military continues to pay their compensation and benefits.

The SkillBridge database offers detailed information on more than 9,000 career training opportunities, including more than 9,000 in hundreds of fields.

Getting approved for SkillBridge is a natural expansion for MOVE, Key said. The strong presence of life sciences manufacturing in North Carolina creates demand for motivated, talented workers to fill critical positions in a technical and regulated industry. Veterans possess many of the qualities employers are seeking, but they need the industry knowledge and training that MOVE provides access to.

“The intent is to provide lifelong meaningful, sustainable employment and lifelong careers for the military population,” said Key, a retired 20-year U.S. Army Master Sergeant.

The program offers access to job training through BioWork, a program of North Carolina Community Colleges, as well as an internship at Pfizer Inc.’s Sanford facility for Army personnel stationed at Fort Liberty.

Last year MOVE was awarded an $825,000 two-year grant from the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor. MOVE is using the grant to expand access to job training, internships and referrals.

Key said MOVE is working to build programs with additional military installations in North Carolina beyond Fort Liberty.

Finding purpose after serving

To date, the program has helped 56 North Carolina service members, including 23 who have landed full-time employment in life sciences and 13 furthering their education in the field.

Maggie Churchill, whose position in Army Psychological Operations ends in February, became interested in life sciences manufacturing after seeing a presentation by Key at Fort Liberty. She applied for the Pfizer internship and was accepted.

Now, she’s furthering her career by accepting a position as manufacturing manager at Kyowa Kirin North America, a specialty pharmaceutical company based in Japan with operations in Sanford. She starts the first business day after leaving the military.

“It’s not just about finding a job,” she said. “It’s about finding a purpose, a mission that aligns with the skills we’ve honed in the military. It’s a chance to help others see how much we as veterans have to offer and ensure our contributions are valued.”

Churchill credits the MOVE team, mentors at Pfizer who supported her, and the HR manager at Kyowa Kirin with providing her opportunities to learn and grow despite not having previous experience in life sciences.

Likewise, D’Aisha Exhem, who completed the BioWork training program and left the Army at the end of December, said MOVE’s connections to the military helped make a smooth transition to civilian life. Exhem recently landed a position as a manufacturing associate at FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies.

“As someone who has a passion for life sciences, working in the field allows me to receive a different view and understanding than what I may have learned in the military,” she said.