Hiring Our Heroes Fellowships Explained

Hiring Our Heroes runs several fellowship routes, and they are aimed at different people:

  • Corporate Fellowship Program — the flagship. A 12-week placement with a host company, and it is an approved Department of Defense SkillBridge program, which is what lets you do it on active duty while still being paid.
  • Skills-Based Fellowships — shorter, function-specific placements.
  • Military Spouse Fellowships — a separate route for spouses, not a spillover from the service member's.

There are also industry-focused programs such as a Skilled Trades Academy covering construction basics.

Fellowship placements generally run six to twelve weeks.

The reason a fellowship is worth more than an equivalent block of training is that it is inside a company that has chosen to host. The realistic outcome is a job offer from the host, or a reference from someone who has watched you work for three months — neither of which a course produces.

Who is eligible?

For the Corporate Fellowship Program:

  • you must be on active duty;
  • you must be within 180 days of transition at the time of the 12-week program;
  • you must meet the education and leadership experience requirements.

The 180-day rule is the same statutory window SkillBridge runs on, so the arithmetic to do is when the program falls, not when you apply. A 12-week fellowship has to sit entirely inside those 180 days, which means starting the conversation with your command well before you are 180 days out.

Your service's approval still governs. SkillBridge approval is service-specific — the Army routes it through the Career Skills Program with rank-tiered duration caps, and a Category III soldier capped at 60 days cannot fit a 12-week fellowship at all. Check your own service's ceiling against the program length before you apply, not after.

Military spouses have their own fellowship route with its own eligibility, and it is worth applying for on its own merits rather than treating it as an add-on.

How do I apply?

  • Apply through the Hiring Our Heroes career services portal: Cohorts and application windows are listed there.
  • Check the 12 weeks fits your service's SkillBridge cap: The Army's rank categories cap some soldiers at 60 days.
  • Count the 180 days against the program dates: The fellowship has to sit inside the window, not the application.
  • Start the command conversation early: Approval chains for senior ranks take longer.
  • Spouses: apply to the spouse fellowship directly: It is a separate route with its own eligibility.
  • Treat the host company as the real prize: The outcome that matters is an offer or a reference from someone who watched you work.

Common questions

How long is the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship?

12 weeks. Fellowship placements across the programs generally run six to twelve weeks.

Is the Hiring Our Heroes fellowship a SkillBridge program?

Yes. The Corporate Fellowship Program is an approved Department of Defense SkillBridge program, which is what allows participation on active duty.

Who is eligible for the Corporate Fellowship Program?

Service members on active duty who will be within 180 days of transition at the time of the 12-week program, and who meet the education and leadership experience requirements.

Can military spouses do a Hiring Our Heroes fellowship?

Yes, through the separate Military Spouse Fellowship route, which has its own eligibility rather than depending on the service member's.

Will your service approve a 12-week fellowship?

Not automatically. SkillBridge approval is service-specific — the Army caps duration by rank category through its Career Skills Program, and some categories are capped at 60 days.

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