Military Skills Credentialing in the UK and US: ELCAS, COOL and SkillBridge Compared

The UK and US both help service leavers turn military experience into civilian qualifications, using different tools. The UK mainly pays for learning: Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) give up to £2,000 a year towards a Level 3 or higher qualification, Standard Learning Credits cover smaller courses, and the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) provides resettlement time and training. The US mainly maps and certifies: each branch runs a Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) site that links a military job to civilian credentials, the GI Bill reimburses licensing and certification tests up to $2,000 each, and SkillBridge places service members with civilian employers for up to 180 days before discharge.

The gap these schemes address is real. In the UK Veterans' Survey 2022, 85.4% of respondents felt they had transferable skills and 81.4% had used military skills in a civilian role, yet 52.5% had at some point taken a job below their last armed forces level. Employers not recognising transferable skills was the second most cited reason (Office for Veterans' Affairs and ONS).

UK and US credentialing schemes side by side

How the UK system works

Enhanced Learning Credits

ELC is the main source of money for a civilian qualification. Payment is a single up-front sum in each of up to three financial years, paid directly to an approved provider. You must fund at least 20% of the fees yourself, submit the claim at least 25 clear working days before the course starts, and use off-duty time or leave for study. Service training, professional body memberships, course materials, pure sport and battlefield tours are excluded (MOD Discover My Benefits, updated September 2025).

Eligibility depends on qualifying service and on having registered for the scheme while serving. The lower tier needs 6 years' service on or after 1 April 2017 (4 years before that date) and the higher tier needs 8 years. If you left on or after 16 April 2016, you have five years from your last day of service to make your final claim; earlier leavers had ten years (Salute My Job ELC guide). Claims are made online through the ELCAS website, which also lists approved providers and courses and has guidance on publicly funded further and higher education.

Standard Learning Credits and resettlement

Standard Learning Credits pay up to £175 a year, at 80% of eligible fees, for shorter courses. They cannot fund the same parts of a course already funded by ELC. Resettlement then adds structured time and advice. Under the Career Transition Partnership, personnel with over 6 years' service or a medical discharge get the Core Resettlement Programme, including up to 35 days of Graduated Resettlement Time on full pay, with maximum entitlements after 16 years of regular service (MOD). CTP can be reached on 0121 236 0058 or ctp.info@reed.com. Our guides to ELC and SLC and the Career Transition Partnership go into each scheme in more depth.

How the US system works

COOL and the O*NET crosswalk

DoD COOL links to separate sites for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, plus one for DoD civilians. Each shows how a military occupation relates to other military jobs, federal jobs, civilian occupations and named credentials, and flags credentials approved for GI Bill payment. The O*NET Military Crosswalk covers six branches and their code systems: Army and Marine Corps MOS, Navy and Coast Guard ratings, Air Force AFSC and Space Force SFSC. Typing your code returns the civilian occupations that match, which helps when writing a CV or searching job boards.

Paying for the test

Once you know which credential you want, the GI Bill can reimburse the exam. VA pays up to $2,000 per licensing or certification test and deducts entitlement in proportion to what it pays. Apply with VA Form 22-0803, attaching the fee receipt and either the result or the credential itself (VA). Using entitlement for a test leaves less for a degree, so weigh the cost before claiming small fees.

SkillBridge

SkillBridge lets service members spend up to 180 days of their final 180 days in uniform training or working with an approved civilian organisation while keeping military pay and benefits. A field grade commander in the chain of command must authorise participation in writing. Industry partners pay nothing for the placement, and the SkillBridge locations map lists current opportunities (DOD SkillBridge).

Which tool answers which question

Veterans who served in one country and now live in the other face a narrower menu. A US veteran studying in Britain may be able to use the GI Bill at an approved UK university, covered in our study in the UK guide. UK schemes are tied to UK service records, so check eligibility with the scheme administrator before you plan around them.

A step-by-step plan

UK service leavers

1. Confirm you registered for ELC and check your tier on JPA or with your education officer.
2. Book your CTP resettlement brief as early as your programme allows.
3. Search ELCAS for approved providers offering a Level 3 or higher course that employers in your target sector ask for.
4. Budget for the 20% personal contribution and submit the claim at least 25 working days before the start date.
5. Note the date five years after your last day of service as your final ELC deadline.

US service members and veterans

1. Look up your MOS, rating or AFSC on your branch COOL site and list the related credentials.
2. Cross-check the civilian job titles on the O*NET Military Crosswalk.
3. If you are within a year of separation, ask your command about SkillBridge and search the locations map.
4. After the test, file VA Form 22-0803 with the receipt and your result.