Posts Tagged ‘military spouses’

A new and improved Transition Assistance Program for separating soldiers debuted this week at Fort Sill, Okla., after the Army went back to the drawing board to better support troops attempting to enter the civilian workplace, attend college or start a business. What once was a three-day workshop now is an extended program offering soldiers individually focused counseling, reported the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command. Program elements include …

First Lady Michelle Obama joined Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Tuesday as he signed legislation making it easier for military spouses to transfer their professional licenses. At the bill signing at the Illinois National Guard Armory, Obama praised the governor for making Illinois the 23rd state to adopt legislation improving the portability of professional licenses for military spouses. “This is an eminently solvable problem …

Over the past decade, service members have benefited from training in highly advanced technology, yet they still face challenges in transitioning to the civilian labor market because the private sector in many cases does not recognize their experience, according to a new report by the president’s Council of Economic Advisers and the National Economic Council. Military Skills for America’s Future: Leveraging Military Service and Experience to Put Veterans and Military Spouses Back to Work analyzes the labor market situation of America’s veterans, discusses the challenges that returning veterans and military spouses face as they seek to enter or re-enter civilian employment …

Military spouses moving to Delaware will be able to obtain a provisional license in occupations requiring certification, such as dental hygienist or hairdresser, under legislation signed into law this week by Delaware Gov. Jack Markell (D). The license would allow the individual to practice their profession for six months while they apply for a new one from Delaware. The spouse is required to have a current license in another state or U.S. territory to be eligible, reported delawareonline. “Delaware is helping to make the transition as easy as possible,” said State Rep. Darryl Scott (D), the author of HB 238.

Some of the barriers preventing military spouses from maintaining a career are starting to fall, reports American Forces Press Service. Sixteen states have passed laws to improve professional license portability, while 11 others have legislation pending. Also DOD’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership recently announced it has a total of 128 employer partners that post jobs on the program’s site specifically for military spouses. The companies allow hired spouses to retain their jobs after they move. The gains are due to the efforts of DOD’s Military Community and Family Policy office, the First Lady’s Joining Forces campaign and military spouses themselves, according to the story.

A survey released Wednesday by Blue Star Families found that 62 percent of military family members who believed their service member had exhibited signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, regardless of any official diagnosis, did not seek treatment due to doubts about the military’s support system. The finding demonstrates there is still much to be done to help service members and their families deal with the invisible wounds of war, concluded the nonprofit dedicated to supporting military families …

The Massachusetts Senate last week unanimously approved legislation extending benefits and increasing access to a range of services for military personnel, their families and veterans. The Valor Act would provide an array of benefits to help veterans and active military members obtain improved business, educational and housing opportunities …

An initiative spearheaded by Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear scored its first significant achievement with the enactment of state legislation providing adoption benefits to members of the National Guard. The adoption benefits measure was the first major initiative to emerge from the Military Spouse Task Force established last October by the first lady …

An eight-day boot camp at Florida State University is teaching the spouses of injured veterans how to become entrepreneurs while taking of their wounded warriors. The program covers key business skills, such as where to obtain financing, as well as how to take advantage of military benefits, reported the Capitol News Service. The state of Florida last week made it easier for veterans to start their own businesses, announcing that it is waiving licensing fees. The move could save veterans’ families more than a thousand dollars.

First Lady Michelle Obama began her remarks at a celebration of the one-year anniversary of the Joining Forces campaign by recounting a lengthy list of the initiative’s accomplishments. “Over the past year, more than 1,600 businesses have hired more than 50,000 veterans and spouses, and they pledged to hire at least 160,000 more in the coming years …