This op-ed authored by Kenny Spratt was originally published on Bakersfield.com.

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Kern County is in the middle of a workforce movement that presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Employers across sectors including aerospace, defense, logistics, healthcare, energy, public service, food processing and advanced manufacturing are actively searching for talent. At the same time, highly skilled veterans, military spouses and eligible dependents are transitioning into civilian life ready to contribute, yet their experience is not always clearly understood or translated in today’s hiring process.

That translation gap is what we are working to close through Veterans CareerBridge, a program powered by TalentBase and supported in part by the California Jobs First Catalyst Program through the Kern Coalition and Employers’ Training Resource.

As founder and CEO of TalentBase, a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business, this work is personal. My career began in the U.S. Army, where I saw firsthand the leadership, discipline and adaptability veterans bring to every mission. Like many who have served, I also experienced how difficult it can be to translate that experience into the civilian workforce.

Military experience already reflects the qualities employers consistently say they need: leadership, accountability, teamwork, technical execution and mission focus. The challenge is not whether that value exists, but how effectively it is translated and made visible in a way that supports confident hiring decisions.

Veterans CareerBridge was built to address that challenge.

Rather than sending veterans directly into job searches, the program prepares participants first. We focus on skill translation, professional readiness, training alignment and direct employer engagement so candidates can clearly communicate their experience and align with local workforce needs.

Our next cohort launches May 11, with candidates ready for employer interviews beginning May 22. Employers are encouraged to engage now to connect with prepared candidates early in the process, when alignment and hiring opportunities are strongest. Community partners can also help connect veterans and military families to the remaining available slots.

For employers, this approach changes the equation. Instead of interpreting a resume in isolation, they meet candidates who have already been coached, supported and aligned with real opportunities. The focus shifts from guessing fit to recognizing readiness.

The first cohort included nine participants, with seven completing the initial phase for a 77 percent completion rate, including a WIOA-eligible dependent. These results demonstrate that when support is structured and intentional, participants stay engaged and move forward.

What makes this model different is not just training, but alignment. We prepare job seekers before the employer conversation, help employers better understand military experience, and continue supporting participants until they are connected to the right opportunity.

This is what workforce development looks like when it is built around both people and employers. This work succeeds when employers, education partners, workforce systems and community organizations move together. Veterans CareerBridge provides a structure to turn that coordination into real career pathways.

We do not need to reinvent the talent we already have. We need to better recognize it, prepare it and connect it to opportunity. Kern County is well positioned to lead in that effort.

For more information or to participate, visit talentbaseusa.com or contact contact@talentbaseusa.com. This project is funded by California Jobs First and the Kern Coalition. This is a California Jobs First | Kern Coalition Catalyst Initiative.

Kenny Spratt, MBA, CWDP, is founder & CEO of TalentBase and Veterans CareerBridge, focused on workforce development and employer engagement.