How to Find the Best Military Friendly® School for Your Career Goals

It can be overwhelming for veterans to find their next step once they return to civilian life. There are many different paths for them to pursue: apprenticeships, college, or even straight to a new job. If you’re considering learning a new trade, it’s important to look into finding the best Military Friendly® School to fit your goals. 

Founded in 2003, the number of organizations that were designated as Military Friendly® was only 20. Today, that number has grown to over 3,500. It’s important to choose the right school after your military service, especially when looking to earn the qualifications for in-demand careers like heavy equipment operation. 

Let’s examine what a Military Friendly® School really means, and how you can find the right program for you.

Learn more about how PTS can help veterans elevate their careers. Download our free guide, A New Path Forward: How Veterans Can Capitalize on HE Operator Training. 

What Does “Military Friendly®” Mean?

A Military Friendly® School is an organization that is committed to helping the military community succeed. This community includes active duty members, as well as members of the reserve, guard, veterans, and military spouses. This designation establishes expectations to allocate resources for schools to recruit, retain and advance veterans. 

Military Friendly® Schools encourage schools to build strong veteran programs, like support services and career assistance services that are directed specifically to the military community. Many of these organizations employ dedicated veteran affairs advisors, and can help with resume building and job placement assistance. 

It’s important to consider your career goals and how a Military Friendly® School can help you achieve those goals. Does the school use hands-on training and have qualified instructors? Can it help you prepare for essential industry credentials? Does it make an effort to assist veterans and help with their unique needs? 

PTS checks each of these boxes — and more. 

PTS: A Place Designed to Help Veterans Succeed

At PTS, we’ve helped countless veterans prepare for a successful career as heavy equipment and mobile crane operators. We’re grateful for the sacrifices veterans have made in serving our country, and we’re committed to helping them find their next step. We’ve qualified for the Military Friendly® designation for years and we’ll continue to help veterans succeed with our heavy equipment training. 

In only three weeks, your training at PTS can be complete and you can be on your way to finding a high-earning career. We know that heavy equipment training is a smart choice for veterans and we offer them a fast-track into a high-demand field.

Our comprehensive courses include:

• Heavy Equipment Operator Training 1: Here, you’ll earn the practical experience you need to operate skid steers, wheel loaders, compactors and more, as well as preventative maintenance, safety, soils, and earthmoving.
• Heavy Equipment Operator Training 2: In this follow-up course, you’ll learn how to operate bulldozers, scrapers, excavators, and motor graders. You’ll also be exposed to grades, site work, excavation math, and more. 
• Mobile Crane Operations: This course will train you to operate both the Mobile Hydraulic Telescopic Boom Swing-Cab and Telescopic Boom Fixed-Cab cranes, and you’ll also learn crane safety, wire rope and basic rigging practices. 

PTS accepts various veteran financing options such as the Post 9/11 GI Bill® and Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Program Chapter 31 benefits. We help you maximize your benefits so that you can utilize them to better your future. Our programs will help prepare you for a long and rewarding career as a heavy equipment operator. 

The best way to decide which Military Friendly® School is right for you is to visit or reach out to the school. Schedule a tour of PTS and ask questions about our training environment, as well as how we support veterans. Visit us today and earn a $500 tuition reduction scholarship.