LifeSkills Connection Partners with Great Lakes Naval Base to Support Transitioning Recruits

Thousands of young adults join the Navy every year, eager to serve their country. But service doesn’t always go as planned — sometimes recruits find that the fit isn’t quite right, and they need a new direction. That’s where LifeSkills Connections’ partnership with Great Lakes Naval Base comes in, helping these young people chart a new career path or build the skills to return to a successful Navy career.

LifeSkills connects transitioning young adults to the Job Corps program, a residential career and technical training program that lets students continue their education in a safe, supportive environment. Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, Job Corps is completely free to students. Participants earn third-party credentials in high-demand fields like manufacturing and health care, and many go on to apprenticeship programs after completing their training.

Great Lakes Naval Base provides on-site space for LifeSkills’ Admissions Counselors, who meet with transitioning recruits every week and follow up with one-on-one conversations. These Admissions Counselors get to know each young adult’s interests and goals, helping them think through their options and decide what’s next. For many transitioning back to civilian life, Job Corps turns out to be exactly the right next step.

It was the right step for Margaret Clompus who separated from the Navy in August. She’d just turned 18 and had no stable place to return to. She found a new home at Wind River Job Corps in Wyoming, where she’s studying Heavy Equipment Mechanics — and working toward returning to the Navy once she completes her training.

Whether Job Corps leads a young person to a new career, to college, or back to a successful career in the service, one thing holds true: these young adults won’t be allowed to fall through the cracks. The Great Lakes Naval Base and LifeSkills partnership gives them direction, options, and confidence; equipping them with real skills and a clear pathway to success.