WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expanding programs to recruit veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses into mission-critical positions, combining a broader military transition partnership with a department-wide hiring initiative aimed at strengthening the agency’s workforce.
The effort includes an expanded partnership with the Department of War’s SkillBridge Program and a new “100 Hires in 100 Days” initiative, both intended to accelerate hiring into positions supporting food security, cybersecurity, forestry, wildfire management and other agricultural priorities, USDA said.
Approximately 200,000 U.S. service members leave active duty each year, creating a pool of experienced candidates for federal agencies seeking workers with leadership, technical and operational expertise, according to the department.
Through the expanded SkillBridge partnership, eligible service members may spend up to their final 180 days of military service working in civilian positions while continuing to receive military pay and benefits.
USDA said it is seeking applicants with experience in cybersecurity, data and artificial intelligence, application development, budget and financial management, acquisitions and contracting, geospatial analysis, and Forest Service and wildland fire management.
SkillBridge opportunities are available within approximately 75 miles of USDA employment hubs in Fort Collins, Colorado; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Raleigh, North Carolina; Salt Lake City; and Washington, D.C. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
The department also launched its “100 Hires in 100 Days” initiative, encouraging hiring managers to use existing veteran hiring authorities and noncompetitive hiring flexibilities to fill mission-critical positions.
In addition to positions advertised through USAJobs, veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses may join USDA’s Military Spouse and Veteran Employment Program candidate database, allowing hiring managers to identify qualified applicants for positions eligible for noncompetitive hiring authorities.
“America’s service members have spent their careers protecting our nation, and USDA is proud to offer them a new mission after they leave the military: protecting American agriculture,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins stated.
Emily Kelley, president of USDA’s Military Spouse Association, said military spouses face employment challenges because of frequent relocations and cited a 20% unemployment rate among military spouses as a reason for expanding hiring opportunities.
Additional information about USDA’s SkillBridge program and veteran employment initiatives is available at www.usda.gov/skillbridge and www.usda.gov/veterans.
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