The Challenge

Each year, nearly 200,000 skilled veterans transition into the civilian workforce. These individuals bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and technical training. Yet, too often, their military-acquired skills go underrecognized. 

Why? Because military roles and training don’t always translate clearly into civilian job qualifications—and there’s no standardized way to interpret or communicate this experience to employers. As a result, many veterans are overlooked for positions they are more than qualified to fill.

The Solution: Manufacturing Readiness Badges

Manufacturing Readiness Badges helps close the gap between military service and civilian employment—specifically in the manufacturing sector, which faces a growing talent shortage with over 400,000 open roles nationwide. 

Through the use of digital credentialing, the program translates military skills into a language civilian employers understand. Veterans and servicemembers receive Manufacturing Readiness Badges, helping them clearly demonstrate their competencies to potential employers. 

These badges can be showcased in digital wallets and resumes through a new partnership with SmartResume, creating a seamless connection between military experience and manufacturing opportunities.

What Are Manufacturing Readiness Badges?

Manufacturing Readiness Badges reflect foundational competencies in key areas such as: safety, quality, maintenance, logistics, and leadership.  

Each badge is aligned with over 300 enlisted military occupation codes (and more than 900 for the Leadership Series) across all five military branches. The badges are endorsed by the Manufacturing Institute, giving them credibility and making them a trusted signal of job readiness in the manufacturing sector. 

How It Works

Our project partners at Solutions for Information Design (SOLID) created the Map My Future platform to make the process simple and accessible for veterans: 

1. Create a free account at: Map My Future. 
2. Upload your military training records. 
3. The platform evaluates your experience and awards digital badges based on your documented training and its alignment with industry standards from the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC). 

This streamlined process helps servicemembers and veterans convert their military background into recognized industry credentials—at no cost to them. 

Why It Matters

This project is among the first of its kind to integrate cutting-edge labor market tools such as: 

• Digital badges 
• Learning & Employment Records (LERs) 
• Digital wallets 

These tools don’t just help veterans find meaningful employment—they help employers better recognize and trust military training as a valuable asset to their workforce. 

Scalable across both military occupations and civilian industries, this initiative opens the door to broader opportunities for veterans and helps businesses meet critical workforce needs.

Join the Movement

Organizations like Anheuser-Busch are already leading the way, adopting Manufacturing Readiness Badges as part of their veteran hiring strategy. 

Is your company ready to tap into this skilled talent pool?
Let’s connect and explore how you can integrate these badges into your hiring practices. 

Contact Sytease Geib at [email protected] to learn more.

Partners