Virtual Industry Day_120320.docx

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES

1155 DEFENSE PENTAGON

WASHINGTON, DC 20301-1155

Acquisition Directorate

VIRTUAL INDUSTRY DAY

Please provide your list of up to 5 attendees and any questions you have regarding this opportunity to katie.e.freeman.civ@mail.mil, marc.shaver@hci.mil, and phuongthao.c.phan.civ@mail.mil no later than 10 December 2020. An agenda will be forthcoming. Once we've received your questions and list of attendees, you will receive an email with subsequent instructions for this virtual event.

Note: Due to system limitations, only 5 attendees from each organization may participate.

BACKGROUND:

Congress, through section 860 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 directs the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) to establish and maintain a Defense Civilian Training Corps (DCTC) program, organized into one or more units, at any accredited civilian educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees. The purpose of the program is to establish a civilian training corps to prepare selected students for public service in DoD occupations relating to acquisition, science, engineering, or other civilian occupations determined by the Secretary of Defense, and to target critical skill gaps.

DCTC will leverage the significant experience the DoD has attracting and preparing top talent for highly technical careers in service to our nation as both military and civilian members of the Department through the Senior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (SROTC) and the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation Scholarship-for-Service (SMART) program. Just as SROTC has a military science curriculum, DCTC will have an undergraduate curriculum centered on public service in the DoD and designed to align the student’s academic courses of study with a DCTC curriculum providing opportunity for exposure emerging technologies and opportunity to apply Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) knowledge to current technical challenges facing the DoD. The DCTC will employ internships alongside a robust slate of projects as well as opportunities fostering innovation and competition across DCTC units in the program. As a scholarship-based program providing a direct path to a STEM and public service career, DCTC will draw from a diverse population and be a natural educational capstone to nation-wide kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) STEM programs. With a strong corps framework, DCTC will stand apart from other scholarship programs, inspiring a diverse and talented applicant pool. DCTC graduates will strengthen DoD’s human capital environment, contributing a uniquely-trained cohort experienced in STEM and DoD technical challenges, and growing the DCTC model into a prestigious pipeline for STEM and other critical DoD needs.

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