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The Ramstein Airman & Family Readiness Center is bringing in a new course Tuesday that will better prepare Airmen and their families with transitioning into the civilian lifestyle.
“In 2011, President Obama announced a plan to address the issue of transitioning veterans finding meaningful employment outside of the military,” said Christopher Lowry, 86th Force Support Squadron supervisory community readiness consultant. “This is a great option for those who have considered owning their own business or for those who are unsure as to what to do after separation.”
The new course, Boots to Business, is a program offered with the Air Force’s new Transition Assistance Program, now called Transition GPS (goals, plans, success).
“It provides separating and retiring service members and their partners and spouses with a free, unique opportunity to learn the fundamentals of owning a small business, developing a business plan and evaluating business concepts,” Lowry said.
In the first full year of Boots to Business, more than 6,000 transitioning service members, including family members and dependents, participated in the two-day Introduction to Entrepreneurship class on 140 military installations across the U.S. In 2014, the program was federally funded, allowing it to expand its capability and geographic reach to overseas locations.
Lowry said he thinks it’s a good decision if service members decide to take this course to supplement the Transition GPS course. The additional course is available to service members of all pay grades, enlisted and officer, as well as military spouses and dependents.
The course is broken up into three separate parts: The Entrepreneurship Track Overview, Introduction to Entrepreneurship Two-Day Course and The Foundations of Entrepreneurship Course. The first two parts of the course are during the Transition GPS class, and the second part is the optional two-day course, which is offered on base. The third part requires approximately 10 hours of study each week that guides participants through the fundamentals of developing a business plan.
During the class, participants are shown the resources available to help gain start-up capital and additional technical assistance when entering the entrepreneurial world.
The free course is available at participating military installations.
To sign up for Boots to Business, call the A&FRC at 480-5100, or visit www.sba.gov for more information.
