DoD Moves to Help Spouses Build Careers

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Military.com | By Christian Lowe | November 15, 2007

Any savvy individual in or around the military knows that it's not just the person wearing the uniform that matters; it's also the support of a spouse that makes those deploying overseas truly "combat effective."

But for years advocacy groups contended that the Pentagon was merely playing lip service to that notion and ignoring one of the most important needs of spouses torn between career and family.

On Wednesday, the Pentagon took the first step in addressing that growing concern by launching a new program aimed at supporting spouses who want to build or continue a career despite the frequent moves from base to base that are the hallmark of any military family.

Dubbed the "Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative," the new effort teams the Pentagon with the Department of Labor to expand job opportunities for spouses in "high-demand, high-growth occupations," such as healthcare, education and information technology and helps guarantee those jobs will still be available even if the spouse relocates.

"We understand how hard it is for military men and women to have to be ready to move anywhere in the world every year," said Pentagon chief Robert Gates during a ceremony at the Pentagon that launched the new program. "Spouses are called upon to pack up and relocate their family, often at the cost of their own careers. This makes it difficult to navigate the career licensure and certification requirements that go with most professions. In addition, education is often unaffordable for young families who must also bear the expense of child care."

The pilot program will begin in January backed by $35 million in Labor and DoD funds to give grants to eligible spouses that can help them pay for education, training, licensing fees, books and other materials to get their careers off the ground. The program is intended for spouses with family pay grades of E-1 through E-5 or O-1 through O-3, and the grants total $3,000 per year for each spouse.

Starting out, the program will be available at 18 military installations in eight states, including Camp Pendleton, Calif., Fort Benning, Ga., and Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The number of bases and states could expand as the program evolves, said Pentagon personnel chief, Dr. David Chu.

Aside from the grant money available for spouses through this effort, the Department of Labor is stepping in to make sure more jobs are open to military spouses even if they move from one state to another.

"We're providing spouses with great opportunities to step into careers and opportunities that will grow over time," said Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao. "Now it's our turn to be there for [spouses] by providing this financial assistance and service that can help spouses achieve their goals and their dreams on behalf of the family."

Spouse advocates welcomed the new career initiative and said the benefits flowing from the joint effort could impact husbands and wives with ongoing careers, or those just starting out in the workforce.

"Sometimes it's really tough for a 19 year-old spouse to continue her education," said Joanna Williamson, a volunteer with the National Military Family Association which supports the Pentagon's new career program. "This can help with transferring credits for college, and it even helps with a career change."

Military spouses interested in taking advantage of the new program are encouraged to visit a nearby "One Stop Career Center" located on one of the 18 participating installations, Pentagon officials said.

For more info on this topic:
Military Spouse Career Center

Related links at Military.com:
Military Spouse Network
Spouse Buzz

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