"The Big 3"

And guess what?.......They're FREE!

1. College Education

Why is college education such a great opportunity for you and your Sailors?

There are many reasons for Sailors to pursue a college education. Some of the most apparent reasons are:

2-4 extra points towards advancement to E4-E6 (for Associates & Bachelor degrees)
Education is worth points for selection boards for CPO/SCPO/MCPO
Required or highly desired for Officer programs
It makes you more competitive when you decide to transition from the Navy & can increase your starting pay on the outside (See the flyer below).
Sailors may be throwing away up to $4,000 a year in tuition assistance benefits

One more thing to think about: Most E-5 and above are less than 10 classes from obtaining an Associates degree with just their Navy ACE credits. You may be much closer than that!

What are the steps to earning your college education?

View College Benefits Flyer

3. United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP)

Why is journeyman certification through USMAP such a great opportunity for you and your Sailors?

There are several great benefits/opportunities of USMAP that Sailors are often unaware of.

1. It is completely free

2. It takes virtually no time out of the day to complete

3. Sailors earn a journeyman license through the U.S. Dept. of Labor

4. It can help you stand out in the Navy

5. It can be a very effective bullet in a civilian resume'

6. It may help you earn extra starting pay when you transition

As an example, a PACNORWEST Navy Counselor retired last year and earned an extra $10,000/yr starting because he had a journeyman license as a Counselor and Office Manager/Administrative Services. Not bad for a free program with very little work to obtain!

What are the steps to starting your apprenticeship program?

1. Go to the USMAP website

2. Click on "Enroll" at the top of the home page and answer the questions

3. Start logging your daily hours

Every six months you will need to submit your hours to USMAP for review via the semi-annual report . View the link to the left for reporting procedures.

For more information contact your Command Career Counselor or Command USMAP Coordinator. You can also contact USMAP directly at:

E-mail: NETPDTC.USMAP@navy.mil
Phone: (850) 452-1001 (DSN 922-1001) Option #3 ext. 2096, 2222

Fax:      (850) 452-1419 (DSN 922-1419)
Mail:    COMMANDING OFFICER
             CPPD USMAP
             6490 SAUFLEY FIELD ROAD
             PENSACOLA FL 32509-5251

2. Professional Certification/Navy COOL

Why are professional certifications such a great opportunity for you and your Sailors?

The benefits of certifications can be limitless. They can help you stand out while serving in the Navy as well as help develop yourself professionally for that great job when you transition. Certifications help open doors in the civilian world and validate your Navy xperience.

What are the steps to earning a professional certification?

The steps to earning a certifcation vary depending on the certification. Start by:

1. Visit the Navy COOL website and search for certifications

2. Once you find a certification you qualify for, fill out the Certification Request Voucher. The instructions are on the form. Just fill out and fax in. Navy COOL will walk you through the rest.

3. You typically have 60 days from the time you apply for the certification to take the certification test.

For more information please contact:

     Mr. Kevin Redmond
     Training Certification Analyst
     U.S. Navy Credentials Program Office
     Center for Information Dominance
     Corry Station, Pensacola, FL
     (850) 452-6664/6683
      DSN 922-6664/6683
     email: kevin.redmond

**Thanks to Mr. Redmond for generously helping us get much of this info!!**

Download/View Navy COOL & Certification Benefits Movie

View Anchorlines Newsletter on Navy COOL

View A&P Program Flyer

Do you actively promote and track "The Big 3"?

Take a poll and see how many Career Counselors actively promote and track their "Big 3" stats. The chances are, the percentage is very low!

What are the benefits of tracking these stats?

Peter Drucker, the father of modern day management said it best... "What gets measured gets done." Simply explained, if you track these stats, you can continually improve upon them.

1. The first benefit (and undoubtedly the most important)... It helps Sailors succeed!

2. Next, it provides a statistical database of Sailorization for your Command. Look at board precepts (and now the FITREPs) for CPO/SCPO/MCPO. Sailorization is huge! This can play an important part in helping your senior Sailors advance as well.

3. Third, It can set you apart from other Career Counselors for advancement. If only a small percentage of Career Counselors actually promote and track all of these programs, then they won't have them in their evals as highlights of the Sailorization and success of their Sailors. What a great way to stand out... by measuring the success of the Sailors you help!

An example to track and report the stats can be viewed from the links below. Adding a "Career & Education Report" to your monthly retention report can be a great way to report your "Big 3" stats. This will give senior leadership a snapshot of the Sailorization initiatives (and your hard work) at the command.

Sample Career and Education Report