AFRC begins teaching re-designed TAP

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kenneth W. Norman
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The Airmen and Family Readiness Center began teaching the re-designed Transition Assistance Program Nov. 5.

President Barack Obama addressed the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Reno, Nev., July 23, 2012 and announced the first major re-design of the TAP since the program's inception more than 20 years ago.

"The whole premise of the new TAP is that the unemployment of veterans is significantly higher than the national average of people unemployed," said Eric Thayer, 97th Force Support Squadron AFRC section chief.

The difference between the old TAP and the new TAP is that the program is now mandatory for service members who are separating from the military. Also, the new program is now five days rather than three and is much more interactive.

"A big difference is that the new TAP is much more hands on," Thayer said. "Service members are required to bring in their laptop computers with them to the class. If the service member doesn't have a laptop we can provide them one to use."

"The service members now actually create a résumé rather than just learning how to create one," Thayer said. "Also they will go in and navigate job search websites rather than just being told about them."

All of the changes to the program have not been fully implemented yet.

"AFRC only teaches the first day," Thayer said. "The Department of Labor, Small Business Association, and the Veterans Administration are the other huge segments that fill in the other four days. These other programs are not online yet. They will be coming online slowly through the next calendar year."

The new design of the program is meant to keep service members interested.

"Hopefully the information will now be presented in a way that the service members will want to listen and will be interested in the information being given," Thayer said. "They won't just be sitting there listening anymore, they will actually be going in and creating resumes and using job search websites."

For more information about the Transition Assistance Program, contact AFRC at 481-6761.