Overview
Connecting Service Members to Civilian Careers
The Ball Packaging SkillBridge Program gives Service members who will soon transition into civilian life a chance to gain valuable work experience through specific industry training and development. Ball Packaging is proud to be an authorized SkillBridge organization through the Department of Defense, bridging the skills of Service members to their new civilian careers.
Service members can participate anytime during their final 180 days of service. The program is designed to provide the candidate and Ball Corporation’s organization value in a strategic skillset match, candidate development and a path to potential regular employment. Ultimately, Ball is looking for transitioning service members to join the team after completion of the program in production roles at manufacturing facilities in North America. Service members who are considering participating in the program should fill out the contact form below to apply for the current program at the Williamsburg, VA manufacturing plant.
Belonging at Ball
Hiring and Investing in Veterans
Jared Ruger, a human resources manager at Ball Corporation, remembers what it’s like to make the transition to the civilian job market. He completed eight years of service in the Army in 2015, then joined Ball in 2018 after earning a bachelor’s degree.
“I struggled in the job-search process because there were so many variables to consider. How do my skills transfer? What level of job should I apply for?” Ruger said. “I had to research, explore different organizations and build a diverse network of supporters to help me answer these questions during the transition.”
The Ball Packaging SkillBridge program aims to ease the process and help Service members find a sense of belonging at Ball.
“These individuals come from all walks of life, representing a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds, genders, religions and races,” says Stevan Richards, a senior talent acquisition specialist at Ball Aerospace. “Veterans bring a diverse set of translatable practical, hands-on experience, leadership skills and discipline that is unique to military service and extremely valuable in the private sector and our organization, in particular.”
This support for Service members taking their next career step contributes to Ball Corporation’s success. At Ball, the transition process for veterans does not end upon finding civilian employment. The Veterans Ball Network (VBN) was established to provide opportunities to build community and camaraderie for veterans and non-veterans within our organization. The VBN provides support and networking opportunities, participation in recruitment, retention and advancement activities supporting an inclusive environment.
Frequently Asked Questions by Service Members
Service members must be able to complete the program within their last 180 days of service and must also obtain approval from their chain of command, which varies by each branch. Commanders may approve or disapprove participation in Ball’s program based upon individual unit mission requirements.
The goal of the program is for transitioning members of the service to secure a career opportunity within one of Ball’s many manufacturing plans upon program completion. To be successful in the program, Service members should be willing to explore new challenges and embrace the opportunity of on-the-job training within a plant environment as an effective way to translate their skills from one industry to another.
For more information on eligibility, please visit the official DoD SkillBridge website for additional information. Veterans or spouses are always encouraged to apply to one of Ball’s current job openings to join the team by going to Ball Careers Webpage.
To apply for the program, Service members should use the application link below to inform the program team of their interest. Service members should be ready to share their current resume with their application, and recruiters will review their entire application before sharing it with the plant’s hiring team to determine a potential fit for the program.
SkillBridge opportunities are based on current needs of Ball’s various manufacturing plants across the U.S. and the potential to provide regular, full-time employment upon program completion. While Ball cannot guarantee that each Service member will be placed into the program, if a candidate is selected to interview for the SkillBridge Program, the appropriate recruiter will contact them.
At this time, Ball Packaging will be holding a cohort program at the Williamsburg, VA manufacturing facility that has several start times throughout the year. Service members in the program will train to be successful in a Production Technician position at any of Ball’s U.S. plants. In the future, additional plants may have programs to support training in manufacturing roles. For a full list of Ball’s locations, they can be found on the
Ball Careers website.
SkillBridge Program Application
Apply using the link below to be considered for the Ball Packaging SkillBridge Program