News You Can Use: Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative

Yesterday, the Pentagon announced a new pilot program which will assist military spouses with education-related costs, and help establish a secure career path.

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.

Read more here.

Which installations are participating?

• Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, Calif.
• Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
• Fort Benning Army Installation, Ga.
• Fort Bragg Army Installation, N.C.
• Fort Carson Army Installation, Colo.
• Fort Lewis Army Installation, Wash.
• Hickham Air Force Base, Hawaii
• Hurlburt Field Air Force Base, Fla.
• Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii
• McChord Air Force Base, Wash.
• Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine
• Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.
• Naval Station Kitsap, Wash.
• Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
• Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
• Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
• San Diego Naval Station, Calif.
• Schofield Barracks Army Installation, Hawaii

Click here for everything you need to know about the program, including eligibility requirements and how to get started. This is a great program for military spouses.

Comments

[Tressa]

Well, that sounds like a great program. Did they limit it to those pay grades because they are usually new to the military? I wonder.

[Coastiewife_RN]

I noticed no Coast Guard stations. :(

[Shawna Mann]

Coastline Community College has a program which offers free textbooks to military spouses. Good deal.

[Maint Toad1]

Andi -- thanks so much! I've another SB presentation on Monday evening (similar to October's presentation) and will change "our" slides to link to this post.
How you ferret these things out I'll never know, but I for one, and Extremely Glad that you do ... Thanks Again!
Toad

[Bethany]

THIS IS AWESOME!!! I have a 50% tuition waiver scholarship but I was accepted into the private school here, so I still need loans--
My base is participating and hubby is still going to be an E-5 for at least another 6 months!
I am currently enrolled for nursing but am maybe switching over to accounting or the like. YAY!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS!

[yvonne]

Hi Im a military wife, Whos husband is overseas, yes I understand moving, we have moved several times for my husbands career. Oh ya it effected my career badly and my resume. Ive been looking for a job for about 6 months in our small town and cant get hired due to my variety of jobs.. Please help me we are finacial hurting. Also nobody cares any more about our husband serving our country. I want start a bussiness and use it to donate care package to the soldiers and familys. but i dont know where to begin. please send me some information. Also I would love to here from the ones that understand and care. Sincerely yvonne