WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is launching a new initiative aimed at recruiting veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses into careers that support American agriculture and rural communities.
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the effort Wednesday, saying the department is expanding opportunities for military-affiliated applicants through an enhanced partnership with the Department of War’s SkillBridge Program and a new “100 Hires in 100 Days” initiative.
Rollins said the goal is to connect veterans with mission-critical positions that strengthen the nation’s food supply, protect agricultural infrastructure and support farmers, ranchers and rural America.
The expanded SkillBridge Program allows eligible active-duty service members to spend up to their final 180 days of military service gaining civilian work experience at USDA while continuing to receive military pay and benefits. USDA is recruiting candidates with backgrounds in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data analysis, contracting, financial management, forestry, wildfire response and geospatial technology.
The department says opportunities are currently available near major USDA employment hubs in Colorado, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah and Washington, D.C.
USDA also unveiled its 100 Hires in 100 Days initiative, encouraging hiring managers across the department to use existing veteran hiring authorities to quickly fill mission-critical positions with veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses.
Officials say applicants can also join USDA’s Military Spouse and Veteran Employment Program candidate database, allowing hiring managers to identify qualified candidates for positions that can be filled through non-competitive hiring authorities.
According to USDA, roughly 200,000 service members transition from active duty to civilian careers each year, and the department says the initiative is designed to help those veterans continue serving the country while strengthening agricultural security and resilience.
LEARN MORE: www.usda.gov/skillbridge and www.usda.gov/veterans
