Posts Tagged ‘military spouses’

Military families have greater access to a wide range of support programs, including installation and school transitioning, promoting employment for spouses and nonmedical military counseling services, said Charles Milam, acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy. Other programs include Military OneSource, which offers financial counseling, tax preparation and help with making informed decisions in home buying and selling …

A Pentagon program intended to help military spouses find rewarding careers despite frequent relocations added 30 companies and organizations at a Washington Navy Yard event Wednesday, raising the total number of participants past 160. The Military Spouse Employment Partnership is needed in the military community to combat spouses’ high unemployment rates and historically low wages …

The Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida will create an online platform identifying veterans services in the Jacksonville area, courtesy of a $20,000 grant from the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation. The project, which is scheduled to be completed in March 2013, will identify reintegration services available to veterans and provide government agencies a tool for locating and contacting resources for veterans, nonprofits with a map of services and interrelated programs that will improve efficiency in service delivery and coordination of care …

Protecting troop and family support programs from budget cuts and increasing support to service members transitioning out of the military were named as the top priorities for the coming fiscal year by DOD’s Military Family Readiness Council after meeting last week. The council said it wants to ensure there is sufficient time for service members and families to transition, and that transitional compensation and health care coverage is needed to help cross over to civilian life …

A measure easing the way for military spouses to obtain professional licenses after moving to California is headed to the desk of Gov. Jerry Brown following the bill’s passage this week by the state Assembly. AB 1904 would expedite the licensure process for military spouses with a current, valid license in their career field from another jurisdiction. Obtaining a new license can cause lengthy re-employment delays for military spouses moving between states …

At 15 percent, the unemployment rate for military wives in 2010 was more than twice as high as the rate for their civilian counterparts, according to a new study from Congress’ Joint Economic Committee. Sen. Bob Casey, the committee’s chairman, released the report Tuesday to build support for legislation he introduced that would offer a tax credit to any military spouse who needs to renew or transfer a professional license following a change in their family’s duty station …

The White House’s “Joining Forces” campaign has prompted the private sector to hire or train more than 125,000 veterans and military spouses in the past year, meeting its goals more than a year early. First Lady Michelle Obama announced the accomplishment Wednesday while addressing sailors and their families at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Fla. The 2,000 businesses that have participated in the initiative have pledged to hire or train an additional 250,000 veterans and military spouses in the coming years …

Recent achievements on two fronts highlight the progress the “Joining Forces” campaign spearheaded by First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden has made to support military families since the initiative was launched in the spring of 2011. Last month, North Carolina became the 26th state to enact legislation making it easier for military spouses to transfer their professional licenses when their families move to a new duty station. South Carolina and Hawaii recently passed similar legislation as well, and three states — California, Ohio and New Jersey — have license portability measures pending …

When the community neighboring Fort Hood in Central Texas, the nation’s largest military base, wanted to support the nation’s service members and their families, the local workforce development provider formed a community service nonprofit to help military spouses obtain college training, licensure and jobs. Jobs for Military Families, led by Workforce Solutions of Central Texas, was one of the nation’s early programs dedicated to military spouse employment. What sets its success apart from other programs that have followed are several key features, including a commitment to provide child care and a focus on high-paying jobs that the spouse can transport to his or her family’s next duty station …

Military personnel, spouses and veterans moving to North Carolina will find it easier to obtain required occupational licenses, under legislation Gov. Beverly Perdue signed into law this week. The new law streamlines the procedures for those already licensed elsewhere to work in the same occupation in North Carolina. Military and out-of-state qualifications will be required to meet or exceed the state’s standards. A licensing board will determine eligibility based on training, experience and competency …