SBA announces Military Spouse Employment Partnership with the Defense Department

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration joined the Department of Defense’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership for a virtual ceremony, Wednesday, Dec. 9. The SBA is one of 85 new partners joining MSEP, bringing the number of employers to 500.

MSEP connects military spouses with hundreds of partner employers who commit to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses. Since its inception in 2011, MSEP employers have hired more than 175,000 military spouses.

“SBA proudly joins this partnership, which will strengthen our agency’s dedication and support to the 1 million military spouses in our nation’s military community located around the world,” Jovita Carranza, administrator of SBA, said. “Military spouses are skilled, diverse, problem solvers, and we welcome their contributions to SBA.”

The SBA Office of Veterans Business Development also ensures that military spouses and service members remain empowered to grow and succeed as small-business owners. The SBA provides veterans and their spouses with valuable business ownership tools, including entrepreneurial training, government contracting, disaster assistance and capital access.

“It is a privilege for SBA to enter into this partnership. Our agency understands the challenge for military spouses to find and maintain employment with frequent change of station moves,” Elias Hernandez, chief human capital officer of SBA said. “Military spouses contribute significantly to our nation, and SBA looks forward to offering opportunities to these talented individuals who support their spouses serving our country.”

The MSEP initiative is part of DOD’s broader Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program. The department established the SECO program to provide education and career guidance to military spouses worldwide, offering free, comprehensive resources and tools related to career exploration, education, training and licensing, employment readiness, and career connections. This program also offers free career coaching services six days a week.

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small-business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.sba.gov.

Submitted by U.S. Small Business Administration.