Tester Pushes Department of Homeland Security to Expand Workforce Opportunities for Transitioning Servicemembers

Senator: “I urge you to do everything in your power to extend Skillbridge opportunities at DHS in order to grow your workforce and facilitate servicemember transition”

U.S. Senator Jon Tester is pushing the Department of Homeland Security to expand participation in the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program to provide the country’s armed forces access to critical job opportunities to ensure servicemembers have meaningful careers before leaving military service.

In his letter, Tester specifically called on DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to utilize the Skillbridge program to help Customs and Border Protection recruit qualified individuals to carry out border security missions, while providing a valuable transition opportunity for the nation’s servicemembers.

“I write to you today to urge you to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in expanded participation in the Department of Defense’s (DOD) SkillBridge program,” wrote Tester. “In addition to the important opportunities it would provide for transitioning service members, I believe that the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in particular would benefit from this program…There are currently thousands of troops on the southwest border. This should not be an enduring DOD mission. Skillbridge can help CBP recruit the workforce it needs to carry out this mission while providing a valuable transition opportunity for our nation’s servicemembers.”

Each year, more than 200,000 servicemembers transition out of the military. The Skillbridge program is in a unique position to connect these men and women in uniform with real-world training opportunities and tangible work experiences that will set them on a path to success.

The Senator continued, “I urge you to do everything in your power to extend Skillbridge opportunities at DHS in order to grow your workforce and facilitate servicemember transition. Thank you in advance for your attention to this request. I stand ready to work with you to strengthen your workforce.”

Tester has been leading the call to fully re-open the U.S.-Canadian border, writing in a letter to the Biden Administration that “each day that passes without resolution is a hit to family farmers and ranchers, small businesses, and the rural communities along the border,” and urging them to work with their Canadian counterparts to quickly and safely open the border. He reiterated his call in a letter to Secretary Mayorkas last week.

Read Tester’s full letter to Secretary Mayorkas HERE.