A&FRC offers spousal employment assistance

  • Published
  • By Sara Vidoni
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
On May 21, the chairs of the Crossroads lounge were filled with military spouses eager to learn more about the opportunities for working from home.

The "Home-Based Career and Telework Job Development Program" was the latest workshop provided by the Airman and Family Readiness Center in a bid to generate more job opportunities for Eglin spouses.

"Military spouses play a key role in the Eglin community, and it is vital we provide the resources and opportunities to meet their needs," said Roseline Anderson, the employment readiness program manager at the A&FRC. "We recognize the important role spouses play in military retention. We need to provide them with the opportunity to not only support their service member's career, but also have a fulfilling career of their own if they choose."

The guest speaker for the workshop was Christine Durst of Staffcentrix. Durst spoke on how to seriously approach a work-from-home career and the best ways to find legitimate offers that can make for a successful, portable profession.

More than 80 people signed up for the workshop and many in attendance shared in Durst's sentiments of the difficulties of finding a job and creating a successful career as a military spouse. Many in the room raised their hands when asked if they felt underemployed or unsatisfied in their current jobs.

"I'm lucky to currently have good work in an office, but had trouble finding a steady job when I first got here," said Samantha Borgese, one of the military spouses present at the workshop. "I am unsure if this is the kind of work I want to continue to do in the future so I attend programs like these to see what else is out there. I want to be able to contribute to my family and our lifestyle but I have to also think about what jobs I can take with me as we move from station to station."

According to the latest Military Family Lifestyle Survey, 84 percent of military spouses have some sort of college experience with 25 percent holding bachelor's degrees and 10 percent holding an advanced degree. However, the military spouse unemployment rate is currently 26 percent and 62 percent of those who work feel they are underemployed. These are percentages the Air Force and the A&FRC are taking very seriously.

"It is our responsibility at the A&FRC to connect military spouses to base and community resources for finding a job," said Anderson. "We provide classes, workshops and one-on-one career counseling to help spouses with their job search."

Employment classes at the A&FRC are free to military service members and their spouses and include topics such as tips for writing a federal resume, interview strategies, maximizing LinkedIn, USAJOBS navigation and more. Their one-on-one career counseling sessions often include an assessment tool to help the individual learn more about how to connect their interests and passions to the world of work.

One of the new initiatives at the A&FRC is the Eglin AFB Transition and Employment Readiness Group. This is a LinkedIn group that spouses can join to become connected to local employers and learn more about job opportunities in the area.

"We are trying to bring the job search into the new age of social media," said Rashaud Smith, team supervisor. "Gone are the days of job boards and binders. We want to directly connect job seekers to those hiring."

One major hurdle for many spouses is transferring their various professional licenses and credentials from state-to-state upon moving to new duty stations. Teachers and nurses are just two examples of occupations that have to transfer licenses as they move across state lines.

Currently, the Department of Defense is working with state officials to ease this transition and minimize the time it takes to accomplish the transfer. Due to this effort, spouses in Florida can now get a temporary license from the state in order to secure employment while completing the state requirements for a full license or while awaiting verification for an endorsement. The A&FRC can provide the resources to help spouses with this transition.

"Our main priority at the A&FRC is to be the first line of communication for spouses," said Mr. Smith. "If you are looking for a job, come to us first! We will connect you to the right people and resources to get you started down your new career path."

For more information on the employment programs provided by the A&FRC, call 850-882-9060 or visit www.eglinforcesupport.com/afrc.