Lloyd J. Austin III Secretary of Defence | Official website
The Defense Department is set to host a series of free virtual events, including a symposium, webinar series, and a hiring fair from May 14 through May 30. These events aim to empower military spouses in achieving their career goals and establishing connections with potential employers.
The 2024 Virtual Military Spouse Symposium will commence on May 14 with three days of online sessions running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT. These sessions are specifically designed for career development and employment preparation, covering topics such as resume writing, networking, mastering remote work, negotiation tactics, and more.
From May 21-23, a series of webinars will be held alongside one-on-one resume reviews and mock interviews to prepare spouses for the subsequent week's hiring fair.
Scheduled for May 29-30 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. EST, the Military Spouse Employment Partnership Virtual Hiring Fair aims to connect spouses with hiring managers and representatives from over 700 employers committed to recruiting, hiring, retaining, and promoting military spouses.
"The success of our military is related to the strength and stability of our families, and the stability of our families depends on military spouses having access to quality employment," said Patricia Montes Barron, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Military Community and Family Policy. "The theme of this year's series is ‘Even More in '24,' and that's what we're offering — more ways for spouses to grow professionally, more ways for them to prepare for the workforce, and more ways to get hired."
Barron expressed optimism that participants would leave these events with increased confidence, encouragement, and actionable next steps.
These events were orchestrated by the DOD's Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program in response to the unemployment rate among nearly one million military spouses in the nation. The current unemployment rate stands at about 21 percent among active-duty spouses seeking work, a trend that has remained steady for the past decade.
The Department is dedicated to providing high-quality resources like the Virtual Military Spouse Symposium as part of its commitment to taking care of its people, one of Secretary Lloyd Austin's top priorities. The Department has taken several concrete steps to address military life challenges by updating policy and providing tangible resources to improve the quality of life for service members and their families.
All events are free and accessible to military spouses worldwide via the Zoom platform. Interested spouses can learn more and register for the series of events at https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/events/live/virtual-military-spouse-symposium-2024.
