New initiative offers education, training funds for military spouses

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. LuCelia Ball
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Eglin has qualified to be one of three military installations in Florida to receive money from the Military Spouse Career Advancement initiative.

The initiative aims to help military spouses get the education and other credentials needed to pursue careers in high-demand, high-growth occupations. The first mass briefing is Monday at 1 p.m. at the Airman and Family Readiness Center.

"There is an absolute need for this program with all the military spouses between Eglin and Hurlburt," said Jiri Crowder, AFRC flight chief. "We have a lot of spouses here who are unemployed or underemployed."

The $35 million demonstration program, co-sponsored by the Defense and Labor departments, sets up accounts for eligible spouses in eight states to cover expenses directly related to post-secondary education and training.

These include costs for tuition, fees, books, equipment and credentialing and licensing fees required for careers in education, health care, information technology, construction trades, financial services and other "high-growth, portable" fields.

The program also covers the cost of renewing existing credentials and licenses due to a military move.

Approximately $4.4 million has been allocated to share between Eglin, Hurlburt Field and Jacksonville Naval Air Station.

"We don't know how much of $4.4 million Eglin and Hurlburt will get, but this initiative is a cooperative effort between the bases and the Jobs Plus Career One Stop Office," Ms. Crowder said.

Qualified spouses are entitled to a $3,000 grant the first year. The grant is renewable for a second year for an additional amount of $3,000. The money will be paid directly to the school or the certifying institution.

Beginning in January, the new program will launch at 18 military installations in eight states: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, North Carolina and Washington.

The program will provide the much-needed help many spouses need to pursue rewarding careers despite frequent career disruptions.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called the new initiative another step in fulfilling the Defense Department's commitment to its servicemembers and their families.

"We owe it to our brave men and women in uniform to assist their families as they do their job, often thousands of miles from their homes and families and under extremely hazardous conditions," he said. "When servicemembers find time to call home or e-mail home, they shouldn't have to worry. They have the right to hear their loved ones honestly say, 'We miss you, but we are doing fine.'"

Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao said the program will give the 77 percent of military spouses who report wanting or needing to work an opportunity to forge careers in fields that provide the most opportunity now and in the future.

Workers in these high-demand occupations will be able to pick up and move with their loved ones' assignments, but still continue building their own careers, she said. She noted that with the trend toward a knowledge-based economy, two-thirds of the new careers will require some post-secondary education or training.

The first step in the process for spouses is to attend a mass briefing to determine if they are eligible. Spouses of active-duty servicemembers grades airman basic through staff sergeant and second lieutenant to captain will be eligible to participate. They must have a high school or general education diploma.

Other eligibility requirements for spouses include being married to an active-duty servicemember, the sponsor must be assigned to the demonstration site and remain at the demonstration site for a minimum of one year, with the exception of duty assignments that will require relocation due to the Base Realignment and Closure Act of 2005. In addition, the spouse must not be receiving Trade Adjustment Assistance or Workforce Investment Act-funded Individual Training Accounts.

If spouses meet the eligibility requirements, they will go through a second process to qualify for Department of Labor. Then, the spouse may choose a program in the fields of finance, technology, health care, education or construction trades.

"It's not every day that $6,000 comes along for school, so we highly encourage all eligible spouses to take advantage of this outstanding opportunity," Ms. Crowder said.

Additional briefings are scheduled at the base theater for Nov. 27 at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Nov. 29 at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

For more information, call the Airman and Family Readiness Center at 882-9060.

(American Forces Press Service contributed to this article.)