By Shelby Ethington, TRADOC Communication Directorate
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – The Partnership for Youth Success is changing its name and some of its operations. This is a culmination of the 3-year transition period that began when PaYS moved to the Training and Doctrine command in 2019 which found the organization under new management with a growing number of partner organizations.
PaYS now stands for the Partnership for Your Success, a change that reflects the program benefitting not only the Soldiers who utilize the services but also the partner companies that guarantee interviews for veterans.
“The change from ‘youth’ to ‘your’ in the acronym represents the ‘win-win’ opportunity for everyone involved in the PaYS partnership – the Army, Soldiers and partnering organizations,” said Antonio Johnson, PaYS program manager.
The most recent updates are a result of the changes that began when PaYS moved to TRADOC and have allowed the program to expand its scope.
“These changes have increased efficiency and productivity, while simultaneously developing a better perception of PaYS in the eyes of Army leaders and other stakeholders,” Johnson said.
PaYS will continue to serve Soldiers as they transition from the Army to the civilian workforce by guaranteeing them up to five job interviews with the partner companies of their choice. It serves as the bridge between Soldiers and industry. By guaranteeing interviews, the program works to reduce uncertainty for Soldiers as they leave the Army.
“Every Soldier is going to take the uniform off one day and landing a job after the Army can be difficult,” Johnson said.
However, he also made it clear that PaYS isn’t a program that only benefits Soldiers. Since the PaYS program began in 2000, over 1,050 companies have joined the partnership. The program gives these companies access to a skilled workforce of veterans.
Along with the name change, PaYS is also updating its logo. It now showcases the elements of partnership and transition through the shaking of hands between a Soldier and a civilian. The inclusion of the program’s tagline, within the logo, was also important to show that PaYS is still doing the same work it has done for decades; “connecting America with its Army.”
This announcement is just the beginning of the changes for PaYS. A new app is currently being developed to connect Soldiers and veterans, with the ability to apply for vacancies offered by PaYS partners in real time.
The PaYS database is also being redesigned to allow Soldiers to select the companies they want to work with at the end of their enlistment obligation, instead of at the beginning. These changes are designed to create more employment certainty for Soldiers and create a faster turnaround for partnering companies.
For more information about PaYS, visit www.armypays.com.