DECEMBER 8, 2020 – The Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership will welcome 86 new partners during a virtual ceremony at noon EST on December 9. This brings the number of companies and organizations that have committed to offering career opportunities to military spouses to 500.
Each of the employers who make up the partnership have pledged to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses. MSEP employers have hired more than 175,000 military spouses since the launch of the partnership in 2011.
MSEP, part of DOD’s broader Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program, is a targeted recruitment and employment solution, creating employment connections that provide companies with direct access to military spouses seeking career opportunities, and spouses with direct access to employers who are actively recruiting.
“Military spouses are well educated and highly qualified for a range of careers, but because of the frequent relocations that are part of military life, they face a 22% unemployment rate and a 26% wage gap compared to their civilian counterparts,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy Kim Joiner. “With additional challenges caused by the coronavirus, it’s gratifying to see so many employers join MSEP and commit to military spouses, which in turn contributes to the health and vitality of our total force.”
The theme of this year’s virtual event, “Working Through Change: Being Agile in an Evolving Workplace,” reflects the challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic. Breakout sessions will address such topics as recruiting in the post-COVID environment, managing employee stress and telework.
The opening session will include remarks by Second Lady Karen Pence, Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, and Mrs. Kate Miller. Three induction ceremonies will be held throughout the day – hosted by Mrs. Hollyanne Milley, spouse of Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Mrs. Maria McConville, spouse of Gen. James McConville, Chief of Staff of the Army; and Mrs. Mollie Raymond, spouse of Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, Chief of Operations, U.S. Space Force.
The opening session will be livestreamed on the Military OneSource Facebook page, and individual induction ceremonies will be livestreamed on the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities Facebook page at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. EST.
About Military Community and Family Policy
Military Community and Family Policy is directly responsible for establishing and overseeing quality-of-life policies and programs that help our guardians of country, their families, and survivors be well and mission-ready. Military OneSource is the gateway to programs and services that support the everyday needs of the 5.2 million service members and immediate family members of the military community. These Department of Defense services can be accessed 24/7/365 around the world.
About Spouse Education and Career Opportunities
The Defense Department established the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program to provide education and career guidance to military spouses worldwide, offering free comprehensive resources and tools related to career exploration, education, training and licensing, employment readiness and career connections. This program also offers free career coaching services six days a week.
About Military OneSource
Military OneSource is a DOD-funded program that is both a call center and a website providing comprehensive information, resources and assistance on every aspect of military life. Service members and the families of active duty, National Guard and reserve (regardless of activation status), Coast Guard members when activated for the Navy, DOD expeditionary civilians, and survivors are eligible for Military OneSource services, which are available worldwide 24 hours a day, seven days a week, free to the user.
About the My Military OneSource app
The My Military OneSource app is helping to transform the military community’s access to quality of life programs and services – better connecting people to the resources they need to regenerate, connect, be well, and thrive. DOD designed the app to offer users a more personalized experience with Military OneSource, based on their profile selections, search activity, and the ability to mark favorite content within the app environment. Download the My Military OneSource mobile app for free on Google Play or Apple’s App Store.