The Defense Department today announced that the Military Spouse Employment Partnership program is celebrating five years of supporting military spouses, according to officials from the DoD Spouse Education and Career Opportunities Office.
Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, launched the program in June 2011 at the first induction ceremony, when 73 companies and organizations made a commitment to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses in portable careers. The Military Spouse Employment Partnership connects military spouses with partner employers worldwide with 24/7 access to job openings and career connections.
Growing Program
The member partners have grown steadily over time, and today, more than five million jobs have been posted on the Military Spouse Employment Partnership Career Portal, and the more than 300 partner employers from a cross-section of industries have hired 95,000 military spouses.
“We at DoD cannot do this alone. Nor should we. We must forge successful partnerships with businesses and people who bring new ideas, energy, and focus to our mission,” said Todd A. Weiler, assistant secretary of defense for manpower and reserve affairs. “We must work with employers, military and veteran organizations, communities, government agencies, and academia to tap into their ideas, talents, and resources, to mind-share with them to get the best results for our military families.”
The Military Spouse Employment Partnership includes corporations, businesses and Military Serving Organizations that post job openings on the Military Spouse Employment Partnership Career Portal and provide programs focused on supporting military spouses in achieving their educational and employment goals. They also mentor other partners and provide employment data on military spouses hired, officials said.
“Tapping into a diverse array of employers’ perspective and experience is critical, and together we can build the trust we need to best support our military families,” said Ronald Keohane, deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy. “We will do it with the same enthusiasm and courage our military families display every day.”
Hiring Military Spouses ‘Is Good For Business’
“Hiring spouses is good for business because military spouses possess the qualities highly sought after by employers, such as dedication, flexibility, a strong work ethic and endless energy,” said Eddy Mentzer, associate director in DoD’s office of family readiness policy and a military spouse himself.
“Companies are looking for hard-working, highly skilled and educated, dedicated employees; military spouses are a perfect fit,” he said. “Our military spouses are a tremendous asset to our nation’s workforce, and more and more employers understand this.”
Military spouses from all branches of military service can access and apply for career opportunities on the Military Spouse Employment Partnership Career Portal. Spouses are encouraged to self-identify when applying with or contacting these employment partners.
The Military Spouse Employment Partnership is part of the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program, which offers free comprehensive information, tools and resources to support career exploration, education, training and licensing, employment readiness and career connections.