Four military students were recently awarded scholarships to participate in Georgia Tech-Savannah’s Veterans, Education, Training, and Transition (VET²) Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB) program. The scholarship program is sponsored by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation. 

The VET² program is designed for active-duty service members, reserve, unemployed veterans, and military spouses to help translate military values and experience into a successful civilian career. Upon completion of the training program, participants receive a professional certificate from a world-renowned academic institution and are better positioned to enter the challenging civilian job market. 

After completion of the course, these four students will be certified in LSSBB, a nationally recognized skill set, backed by Georgia Tech’s prestigious academic distinction.

Throughout the course, participants will learn methods for getting information about a new organization, how to cope with socialization and integration in a new work environment, statistical tools for using Lean Six Sigma in the business world, the sustainability of improvements with control methods and change management tools, how to identify waste, define a solution for process improvement, cost reduction and the Lean Six Sigma approach on how to implement the Define/Measure/Analyze/Improve/Control (DMAIC) methodology.

One Gulfstream-sponsored participant, Krystal Mosely, SFC (RET) at Fort Gordon with 15 years of Army service, commented; “Based on the experiences that I’ve had as a civilian thus far, learning LSS will further help me understand and implement the procedures that will assist in making organizations succeed and keep employees safe.” 

James Wilburn, Ed.D. Military Academic Program Director, at the Georgia Tech-Savannah campus, said,  “We are thankful to Gulfstream for sponsoring these four students, to ensure they are provided with skills to thrive in the workplace after active duty and be prepared for the civilian workforce. These types of programs can help to change veterans’ lives for the better and I know the sponsored participants are very grateful for this opportunity.” 

Arthur Woods Jr., Master Sergeant (MSG) at Fort Stewart, Georgia with over 23 years of active-duty Army service, explains; “Over the next few months, I will be retiring to the Columbus, Georgia, area. I want to extend my gratitude and sincere appreciation to Gulfstream for developing my education. The LSSBB experience was a challenging but rewarding course for military service members to attend. This VET² course at Georgia Tech-Savannah has provided me with the tools to improve my leadership skills and have more confidence in leading a team, all while decreasing critical errors within the workplace. As LSSBB courses are a requirement in some of the organizations in the Columbus, Georgia area, taking advantage of this opportunity will give me more of a chance of landing a civilian job within the next few weeks or months. Again, thanks to Gulfstream for providing me with this chance to attend the LSSBB course at Georgia Tech-Savannah.”

Another sponsored participant, Andrew Baxter, First Lieutenant at Fort Benning with four years of Army service, weighs in on his plans after transitioning out of active duty. “After leaving the military, I plan to become a project manager in the city of Atlanta. I recently accepted a project manager position in the city. This certification definitely helps with the daily project management operations. Some of the processes are similar but doing this program also helped me learn new processes to use.” 

Participant Octavia Williams, a military spouse at Fort Gordon, explains, “I was drawn in by the opportunity to improve processes since I have a natural love of people and collaborations. Lean thinking is something I've always done instinctively, but this course put my actions into words, and allowed me to learn methodology for improving my career experiences. My plans are to apply what I've learned through volunteer work in military and veteran owned small businesses.”  

For more information on the VET² Lean Six Sigma Black Belt program, please visit https://pe.gatech.edu/savannah/military-programs/education-for-veterans. 

For more information on the Georgia Tech-Savannah campus, visit www.pe.gatech.edu/savannah.