b'Opportunities Expand ThroughMilitary Spouse Employment Partnershiphttps://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3156638/opportunities-expand-through-military-spouse-employment-partnership/By C. Todd LopezDoD NewsSeptember, 13 2022The Defense Departments Military Spouse Employment Partnership program expects to add more than 70 newcompanies to its roster during the upcoming MSEPEngage event next month.Currently, more than 540 government organizations,nonprofits and private sector companies have made acommitment to the Defense Department to recruit, hire,promote and retain military spouses, said the associatedirector of military community support programs.Annually we bring all of our partners together for what has traditionally been a two-day event, Eddy Mentzer said. The first day is spent with our new partnersthis year, we haveMilitary spouses can learn about the federal job search, how to make a career change, a class of more than 70 new MSEP partners that will be joiningpolishing their resumes and much more at the fourth annual Virtual Military Spouse us. We conduct a number of orientation sessions with thoseSymposium. DoD Photopartners that focus on how they can engage with the militarymilitary recruits individuals to join the service, it must createspouse community and we have a formal induction ceremony. an environment that retains that service members family.The second day of the event, Mentzer said, is typically spentSpotlight: Military Family Supportin several networking and breakout sessions focused on areas such as recruiting military spouses, understanding the challengesThe challenges faced by military spouses are not new, that military spouses face, and making their companies moreMentzer said. This is a historic challenge. Over the last military friendly and specifically, military spouse ready. decade, our unemployment rate for military spouses has This years MSEP Engage event kicks off October 25 inhovered well above 20%, which is more than five times the Arlington, Virginia. For the first time, Mentzer said, a third daynational average. And it presents a huge challenge for our has been added to the event where military spouses looking military families.for work can meet with potential employers. Family satisfaction, Mentzer said, plays a big part in the This is the first time that weve actually done an eventretention of married service members, and the Department that includes our employer partners and spouses together,wants to ensure that its doing everything it can to keep those Mentzer said. Were going to host our first-ever MSEP families strong. Part of that means ensuring that military in-person hiring fair. Well have a number of our MSEPspouses can be employed if they need to be.employer partners that are present, and the opportunity forWe know that the majority of military families want or need military spouses to come and meet with those companies thatto be dual-income families, he said. Thats not different than have really made this commitment to open that aperture andthe rest of society. And we want to make sure that our spouses hire military spouses. have those opportunities.JWhile the MSEP Engage event in October will mostly serve military spouses in the Washington, D.C., area, Mentzer did The Launch of MSEPsay that the programs primary method for matching spousesThe Presidential Study Directive-9 Report, Strengthening Our Military with employment opportunities is through the programsFamilies: Meeting Americas Commitment, published Jan. 25, 2011, website and events that allow spouses to meet virtually withhighlights the need for a unified Federal government approach to help employers. The program plans to host several virtual hiringdevelop career and education opportunities for military spouses. Among events in 2023, he said. the target activities to accomplish this goal is increasing opportunities for Since the MSEP program began in 2011, the programs military spouses to obtain private sector careers.partnering efforts have helped 220,000 military spouses findAs a result, the Department of Defense leveraged the successful work with more than 540 partners, Mentzer said. And rightpartnerships created under the Army Spouse Employment Partnership by now on the MSEP website, there are more than 600, 000 jobsexpanding the program to Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force spouses.posted. Its important to understand that each of these jobs hasThe expanded programthe Military Spouse Employment been posted by a committed, engaged MSEP employer partner. Partnership, or MSEPofficially launched in June 2011 during aMentzer said helping military spouses find work is an ceremony at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.important aspect of military readiness because while the https://msepjobs.militaryonesource.mil/msep/Thank You For Your Service Military Appreciation Resource Magazine 31'