By Jim Wenzel, WTC STRATCOM
As a military retiree and Army wife, Dr. Lillie Cannon is familiar with the job-seeking challenges faced by spouses. There are over one million Active, Guard, and Reserve spouses, and 85 percent currently want or need work. A common refrain of this young, predominantly female, and highly mobile demographic is, “Every time I move, I start all over again.”
Despite their high levels of resiliency, their desire to work, and an enhanced toolkit of skills based on their life experience, military spouses earn 25% less and transition 14% more often than their civilian counterparts.
Cannon talked to military, federal and corporate attendees at the Wounded Warrior Employment Conference this week. According to Cannon, in 2002, many servicemembers were leaving the military due to unhappiness on the part of their spouses. The National Defense Authorization Act that year directed the establishment of a corporate partnership to enhance the employment of military spouses. The Army Spouse Employment Partnership began with 13 companies willing to commit to hiring military spouses.
In 2011, the Army program expanded to include spouses of all uniformed services and was renamed the Military Spouse Employment Partnership. It now partners with 95 companies, and it has helped more than 131,000 spouses find employment.
Cannon is proud of the work accomplished thus far. “Thirty-five percent of our partners have a wounded warrior program,” she said. “Some of the partners have hired wounded warrior spouses to run their regional programs.”
The partnership expects to add 50 new organizations by year’s end and recently launched a website, www.msepjobs.militaryonesource.mil, to facilitate the posting of spouse resumes and open positions of partner companies. Though there is much left to be done, Cannon feels that helping the spouses of wounded Veterans find jobs is a responsibility shared by the military, federal, and corporate employers.
“I felt like it was something we needed to do as a nation to give back to our military spouses,” said Cannon. “I am very passionate about our program.”
As a military retiree and Army wife, Dr. Lillie Cannon is familiar with the job-seeking challenges faced by spouses. There are over one million Active, Guard, and Reserve spouses, and 85 percent currently want or need work. A common refrain of this young, predominantly female, and highly mobile demographic is, “Every time I move, I start all over again.”
Despite their high levels of resiliency, their desire to work, and an enhanced toolkit of skills based on their life experience, military spouses earn 25% less and transition 14% more often than their civilian counterparts.
Cannon talked to military, federal and corporate attendees at the Wounded Warrior Employment Conference[SG1] this week . According to Cannon, . in 2002, many servicemembers were leaving the military due to unhappiness on the part of their spouses. The National Defense Authorization Act that year directed the establishment of a corporate partnership to enhance the employment of military spouses. The Army Spouse Employment Partnership began with 13 companies willing to commit to hiring military spouses.
In 2011, the Army program expanded to include spouses of all uniformed services and was renamed the Military Spouse Employment Partnership. It now partners with 95 companies, and it has helped more than 131,000 spouses find employment.
Cannon is proud of the work accomplished thus far. “Thirty-five percent of our partners have a wounded warrior program,” she said. “Some of the partners have hired wounded warrior spouses to run their regional programs.”
The partnership expects to add 50 new organizations by year’s end and recently launched a website, www.msepjobs.militaryonesource.mil, to facilitate the posting of spouse resumes and open positions of partner companies. Though there is much left to be done, Cannon feels that helping the spouses of wounded Veterans find jobs is a responsibility shared by the military, federal, and corporate employers.
“I felt like it was something we needed to do as a nation to give back to our military spouses,” said Cannon. “I am very passionate about our program.”
