Hiring Military Spouses: A Closer Look at Unemployment

Military spouse employment (more justly military spouse underemployment or unemployment) has been a conversation in and out of the spotlight over the past decade, but remains a timeless conversation from within the community itself. Government sponsored programs, corporate partnerships, private companies, and non-profits have all joined the space in hiring military spouses. While successes have come along the way, there is still a lot of work to be done. Thanks to the deep efforts, research, and growth initiatives of organizations like IVMF, BlueStarFamilies, and Hiring Our Heroes, we have sound, relevant data to support the narrative around the issue. The concern still remains that the data and research are always the same and the conversation always rounds out the same. Overall, not much has really changed. The same collective “sad sigh” resounds every time new data is released and sadly, it remains a binary tune. But much like a physical epidemic plaguing a nation, the “fix” to this issue is going to require some deep strategy, microscopic research, and unified forces. If we take out a lens, dissect the findings, and start piecing together the components, what would those pieces look like? Maybe if we ‘level up’ and start talking about the microcosms at play, we can start to see exactly what we need to do.

(more…)

Drop and Give Me 20: Instant Teams

In this episode of Drop and Give Me 20, Lindsey interviews the women behind Instant Teams (previously known as MadSkills), a company that allows you to build a virtual team fueled by military spouses. Meet Erica McMannes and Liza Rodewald as they share how their passion of providing opportunities for military spouses led them to starting Instant Teams. You’ll also learn the ins and outs on how to start a business and form a partnership that works!

(more…)