SkillBridge

A clearer civilian transition plan

Connections beyond the training period

Patch22 intends to encourage continued peer connections and help participants identify military and veteran community resources for employment, education, business advising, benefits navigation, and well-being.

Specific organizations, referral arrangements, and any alumni activities will be confirmed before being offered. Outside services have their own eligibility requirements and availability.

Proposed program at a glance

• Location: Rapid City, South Dakota;
• Training type: On-the-Job Training.
• Primary occupation: Morale Manifestation.
• Format: Hybrid, with required supervised in-person training.
• Proposed duration: 24 weeks, 40 training hours per week, totaling 960 hours.
• Proposed weekly schedule: 30 hours of supervised in-person training, 6 hours of live instruction or coaching, and 4 hours of independent learning.
• Initial cohort: Up to two participants, subject to verified instruction, equipment, and employment capacity.
• Start dates: To be announced after program authorization and readiness review.

Participation dates and duration must fit the approved program, applicable service requirements, and each participant’s written command authorization.

What you would learn

From artwork to production

Interpret a patch concept and production brief. Understand how lettering, size, thread colors, backing, materials, and stitch limitations affect the finished product.

Embroidery and finishing

Prepare materials and equipment, practice safe machine operation under qualified supervision, recognize production problems, and learn cutting, backing, and finishing procedures.

Quality and problem solving

Inspect work against specifications, document defects, investigate causes, and follow a controlled rework process. Learn when to stop, ask for help, and escalate a concern.

Inventory and fulfillment

Practice receiving, organizing, and counting supplies; checking orders; packing finished products; and preparing shipment records while protecting customer information.

Business fundamentals

Explore product costing, pricing, basic cash-flow concepts, customer discovery, brand presentation, and customer service. Understand when professional legal, tax, accounting, or business advice is needed.

Civilian workplace readiness

Build habits in communication, planning, documentation, feedback, teamwork, and continuous improvement. Practice explaining how your military experience applies to civilian work.

Bring your strengths to the work

Participants would begin by discussing their experience, interests, and goals with an instructor. Those interests can shape projects within the approved training plan.

• Creative interests: Explore patch concepts, color choices, visual storytelling, and design decisions that work in embroidery.
• Technical interests: Develop equipment knowledge, production consistency, troubleshooting, and quality skills.
• Organizational interests: Focus projects on inventory accuracy, workflow, order preparation, and reliable handoffs.
• Entrepreneurial interests: Connect training to a product concept, customer problem, cost estimate, and basic business plan.

Projects can reflect individual strengths while every participant completes the required occupational competencies, safety training, and assessments.

Support built into the experience

The proposed program would include:

• Individual learning and transition goals.
• Regular instructor feedback and progress reviews.
• Documented retraining opportunities when additional practice is needed.
• Résumé development and interview preparation.
• A personal employment or business-development action plan.
• A resource handoff based on the participant’s interests and needs.
• Planned follow-up at 90 and 180 days after completion.

Patch22’s role is training, mentoring, and resource navigation. Benefits determinations, clinical care, and other specialized services remain with the appropriate qualified organizations.

Who the proposed program is for

Active-duty service members preparing for civilian careers who are interested in hands-on production, creative products, small-business operations, and continued learning.

• Eligibility under applicable military service requirements.
• Written command authorization before the first training day.
• Availability for the approved schedule and required in-person training in Rapid City, South Dakota.
• Commitment to safety, respectful conduct, learning, and feedback.
• Ability to perform essential training activities with or without reasonable accommodation.

Prior embroidery experience is not proposed as an entry requirement. Final prerequisites will be stated in the authorized opportunity. Accommodation questions can be discussed privately with the program contact.

Practical arrangements

Housing, transportation, relocation, and other personal arrangements must be discussed before accepting a placement. This draft does not promise housing or travel assistance.

A Patch22 completion certificate would document completed training. It would not represent an independent industry certification or professional license.