How Defense Civilian Training Helps Job Seekers In A Tough Job Market

This week, colleges and universities across the United States will welcome their students as they begin the new spring semester. For many of these students, it will also be the last time they set foot on campus, as thousands of undergraduate seniors will be completing their academic studies in May. What lies ahead for these upcoming graduates, however, remains to be seen as these job seekers will enter a tough and competitive job market.

According to a survey conducted by the Cengage Group, an American education content, technology, and services company, only 30% of 2025 college graduates found entry-level jobs in their fields of study. The Cengage report added that nearly half of recent college graduates felt unprepared to enter the workforce.

Meanwhile, CNBC reported that recruiter job postings on college campuses are down 15%, while the number of college applicants for entry-level positions has increased by 30%. This has made it difficult for these recent college graduates to find positions, as CNBC reported that the unemployment rate for young adults is now at 10%. Additionally, Forbes reported that 33% of 2025 college graduates are currently unemployed and seeking work. Federal funding cuts to U.S. government agencies and programs, think tanks, universities, nonprofit organizations, and news outlets, as well as layoffs in the private and public sectors, and the rise of artificial intelligence have all contributed to the tightening of the job market.

Given this period of challenge and uncertainty, current college students and recent graduates have had to pivot in their job searches as they seek to develop new skills and talents. Some have resorted to enrolling in a college program that offers scholarships, internships, skills, and mentorship. This is none other than the Defense Civilian Training Corps.

DCTC Develops America’s Future Civilian Leaders While Creating A Pathway To Full-Time Federal Employment For College Graduates

Launched in September 2023 by the U.S. Department of Defense (renamed to the Department of War in September 2025), DCTC is a “congressionally-mandated talent development program that provides multidisciplinary, active-learning curriculum” for college and university students. The DCTC pilot program provides stipends and paid internships to undergraduates. In this rigorous program, accepted students will learn about defense acquisition, science, engineering, technology, and artificial intelligence.

“Congress first authorized DCTC in the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act to address workforce gaps in the DOW’s civilian acquisition ecosystem, where traditional hiring and on-the-job training alone have fallen short of producing talent at scale with the skills needed for today’s fast-changing and complex challenges,” Tory Cuff, DCTC Program Director and Acquisition Innovation Research Center Fellow, told me in an interview. “DCTC produces mission-ready professionals who can contribute to DOW’s priorities and speed capabilities to the warfighter on day one. By focusing on experiential learning, multidisciplinary collaboration, and real-world problem solving, the program is designed to ensure the civilian workforce is equipped to drive innovation, agility, and operational impact for the warfighter. In the midst of ongoing acquisition transformation efforts, DCTC puts the focus on people to achieve organizational culture change.”

Upon completion of this scholarship-for-service program, DCTC seeks to prepare college and university students for high-demand positions within DOW, with an obligation to work in a civilian role in the federal government upon graduation. It is similar to the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program, in which graduates have an obligation to serve in the U.S. military. (ROTC is present at numerous colleges and universities across the United States.)

“Students in DCTC develop a blend of technical, cognitive, and professional skills grounded in multidisciplinary, experiential education,” John Willison, an AIRC Fellow, told me in an interview. “In the classroom, the DCTC curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, digital literacy, and agile methods. These skills are aligned with DOW’s shift from compliance-based processes to innovative, iterative approaches that drive speed and effectiveness in acquisition.”

Four universities were selected for the inaugural DCTC program in September 2023. In this pilot program, 85 undergraduate students from North Carolina A&T, Purdue University, the University of Arizona, and Virginia Tech University were welcomed into this public service pathway. Since then, dozens of students have completed the DCTC program. These DCTC graduates were then employed by DOW, serving in civilian capacities within the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and other defense agencies.

“DCTC students learn collaboration and complex problem-solving through team-based projects based on real DOW scenarios. The cohort model builds communication, facilitation, and cross-functional integration skills by having students work alongside peers from engineering, data, finance, policy, and other disciplines. This project-based learning prepares students to operate effectively in complex, fast-paced environments that require competence and the ability to rely on teammates,” Willison told me.

The DCTC program is now in its third year. Given the success of the 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026 cohorts, DCTC hopes to expand its efforts, aiming to reach six universities by 2027. This would present internship, mentorship, and employment opportunities for hundreds of other college and university students in the United States.

At a time when college students and graduates are struggling to secure internships and full-time jobs, DCTC has been one option that helps students navigate the current job market and economic environment. Over the past three years, DCTC has provided hundreds of college students with opportunities to gain experience by working on real-world DOW projects and problems. It has helped these young adults develop their critical thinking skills, learn to use various online science and technology programs and platforms, enhance their communication skills through collaboration with workers and different government agencies, and gain exposure to the workforce.

“DCTC fosters future leadership by embedding students in experiential learning that mimics real DOW challenges and decision-making environments. DCTC students get extensive practice in leadership skills such as reflective learning, strategic thinking, and mission-driven decision-making long before they enter the workforce. The DCTC blueprint can be scaled into a network of talent factories. A network developed through shared investment will yield benefits beyond a specific organization and can produce portable skills that enable a smooth flow of talent between government and industry partners based on needs and priorities,” Cuff told me.

The skills undergraduate students have learned from this defense training program have helped these young job seekers secure employment after graduation. DCTC also helps develop the future leaders and thinkers of the American workforce. While this defense training program is not offered at every college and university, for now, DCTC serves as a model for future job seekers in the current job market. This can be ideal for college graduates as they enter the workforce.

Disclaimer: Mark Temnycky was a defense contractor who provided contract support to various divisions within the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment from June 2018 to March 2025. In this capacity, he wrote congressional reports, conducted legislative audits, and prepared briefings and action memos for senior government officials on topics pertaining to defense acquisition and defense innovation. While he worked in parallel with the Defense Civilian Training Corps program during his time providing contract support to DoD’s Acquisition Innovation Research Center from November 2021 to July 2024, he did not work on projects for DCTC, nor did he have or does he have an affiliation with DCTC. As of March 2025, he is no longer a defense contractor.