A Collective Effort for Military Spouses

Overview

This document is the product of extensive research and discussion by the working group A Collective Effort: Workforce Development Solutions for the 21st Century Military Spouse. The group joined private and public sector leaders to work together on the issue of military spouse unemployment and underemployment.

Key findings included:

• In some states, legislation continues to create limitations and barriers for mobile military spouses whose career fields have professional licensing requirements.
• The federal government is positioned to continue to grow its impact on military spouses hiring directly and also by encouraging spouse hiring and career portability among federal and DoD contractors.
• An abundance of resources, coupled with limited access to capital, creates a challenging environment to navigate.
• Social capital is a must for building a sustainable business.
• Access to affordable, quality childcare is both a military problem and a national problem.
• Miltary childcare is a model for the nation.
• Although the Department of Defense is the provider of the nation’s largest employer-sponsored childcare system, challenges remain.