Our active military has the opportunity to explore the world, traveling all across the United States and internationally. For many service members, relocating every couple of years is an expectation. This travel to new military stations can open up new opportunities, exposure to new cultures, job experiences and professional growth. Traveling, however, often does not have the same effect on their spouses’ careers. For this reason, our local Thurston County Chamber of Commerce is working with the spouses of active duty military at Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) to assist them with their job search and put local businesses in touch with some highly adaptable and capable workers.
The Chamber is an integral part of a program called Heroes at Home 2. The Chamber works to connect these job candidates who are displaced and looking for work and giving them support and contact information with local industries. “There is a strong support in the private sector to connect with these potential employees,” comments David Schaffert, President/CEO of the Chamber.
The Heroes at Home 2 program is funded by a $4.8 million National Emergency Grant awarded by the Department of Labor and focuses on finding jobs for active servicemember spouses. This program has been in operation since June 2011, and funding is available for up to 825 candidates. Due to the consolidation of Fort Lewis and McChord Air Base, the population of active-duty service member population since 2003 has been growing exponentially. According to the JBLM Public Affairs Office, there are currently more than 41,000 servicemembers and 53,000 family members assigned to the base.
The focus, first and foremost, of the program is to help these spouses find a job. In doing so, they are offered career counseling, job search assistance, access to current labor market information, on-the-job training, tuition assistance and other financial support services. Spouses can upgrade their skills or prepare to take on a new career path. The funding will also assist in identifying skill gaps in new and emerging industries critical to the economic growth of Pierce and Thurston counties.
Colleen has a background as a paralegal. She has been a traveling as a military spouse for 18 years and has moved their family five times, including to an international location. “There are a lot of challenges when you move into new areas…some employers just don’t like the fact that you might not be here in a few years. Although, there are some employers that really appreciate the lifestyle that we live and the adaptability that we acquire over the years. When you start over like that, they appreciate the fact that you are going to be the kind of worker who can handle stress and change.” Colleen was able to find a temporary job placement with the help of the Chamber, and eventually found a full time position locally.
Alisa Curry, most recently moved here from Anchorage, Alaska and has a background in real estate. “I had never had a problem with employment. Moving here, and my husband immediately leaving on exercises, it left me alone and I had no support system, and I was unemployed. Through the military, I saw a flyer for Heroes at Home 2 program for opportunities for educational funding and training. I explored educational opportunities, and in speaking with my counselor, we thought I’d be a good fit for working with the Chamber of Commerce. It was an interesting experience for me. It was more about meeting people and making the contacts that I needed in the community. What the Thurston Chamber gave me was a great opportunity in meeting business people in town and getting a better understanding for the local marketplace.”
Through the program, Alisa was given a temporary work assignment at the Chamber, and was later referred to a Chamber member business. She is currently working for a Tacoma real estate company as a buyer’s agent. “It exposed people that network in the community through the Chamber to my skill set and to my personality and I now have a handful of people that I can use as professional references that are local.”
The biggest challenge of this program, it seems, is getting people to take advantage of it. Colleen continues, “I think that this program is really amazing for military spouses, and I hope that there are other spouses that are able to take advantage of it and utilize the program, it’s wonderful.”
For more information about the program, including eligibility, you can contact JBLM’s Education Center and set up an appointment to meet with one of the program’s career coaches.
