Marine Corps Community, Marine Corps Spouse and Family Resources - Marine Corps Times

BRAC-ed spouses get some help

Labor Department officials are helping local communities look out for military spouses whose employment and training opportunities will be affected by base realignment and closure actions, officials said.

Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has identified the states affected by BRAC that have the greatest concentrations of military spouses, said Peggy Abrahamson, a spokeswoman for the Labor Department.

The ETA is working to ensure that military spouses are part of the discussion as states plan to address BRAC impacts, and is also ensuring that states know about the resources available in the military community to reach out to spouses, Abrahamson said.

That includes providing some funding, too. In the Fort Knox, Ky., area, for example, community leaders are doing a work-force study, with funding from the Labor Department, to determine labor needs now and in the future. The study also will look at the employment needs of spouses of military, civilian and contract workers, and provide information for community leaders to meet those needs, said Beth Avey, spokeswoman for One Knox, a central coordinating agency helping the region prepare for BRAC growth.

That region could see a potential increase of more than 12,000 people, she said.

Avey said the goal is to take care of the needs of spouses as well as the relocating service members. “We know that the spouse’s income is important,” she said. “The community here recognizes it’s important to take care of the family as well.”

One Knox has been in contact with Army family-support coordinators, and may provide input to newsletters, Avey said. They’ve also done “community road shows” to meet with soldiers, their families and others who will be relocating, to let them know about a variety of efforts and contacts, she said.

One Knox set up a Web site for relocating troops and families, http://www.oneknox.com.

One Knox plans to add information about certification and licensing for nurses, teachers and other professionals. Officials are discussing the possibility of reciprocal agreements between states to allow these licenses and certifications granted in one state to be accepted in others, she said. Spouses have long complained of differences in state certification processes, which can be costly and delay their entry into a job at a new location.

The Labor Department also is working with the Defense Department to address these cross-state licensing and certification issues on a broader scale, Abrahamson said.

Labor and defense officials have been working for several years to increase career opportunities for military spouses as they move from base to base, with portable careers a key focus.

The first effort was http://www .MilSpouse.org, a single Web portal to help spouses with job and relocation resources. It has grown to provide nearly 3,000 links to employment, education and training, and relocation resources. Another electronic tool will be available soon that pulls together several sites developed by the two departments, Abrahamson said.

Encouraging national companies to hire military spouses is an ongoing effort. Defense and Labor officials hosted a “webinar” in February with more than 20 national employers highlighting the efforts of two companies, Adecco and RE/MAX, to hire, train and retain military spouses.

In January, Labor officials held a forum for leaders in the hospitality, financial services and health care industries to discuss pathways to careers for military spouses in those industries.

Officials also are working with the medical transcription industry to develop an apprenticeship for military spouses in a portable career field that offers opportunities to work from home.

A number of other efforts are underway to connect military spouses with jobs, such as the nonprofit Military Spouse Corporate Career Network, at http://www.msccn.org. Spouses post their resumes for free, and companies interested in hiring military spouses post jobs.

MSCCN is offering help specifically to spouses who are moving to Fort Riley, Kan., which also will gain population under BRAC, through a partnership with Heartland Works, a nonprofit group that helps military spouses with needs related to employment, training, child care and transportation.