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Family Employment Readiness Program (FERP)
Looking for a job? Changing careers? New to the area? FERP can help
FERP is here to help you along your career path. The Fleet and Family Support Center recognizes your immense value and skill as a military spouse and is committed to help you pursue the career of your dream.
We offer FREE assistance in the following areas:
- Career and Employment Resource Navigation
- Federal and Nonfederal Jobs Search
- Resume-Building Guidance
- Interview Techniques
- Employment-Themed Workshops
- Job Fairs and Self-Presentation Skills
- Solution-Focused Coaching
- Cheerleading
Fleet and Family Support Center Services are open to all Active Duty, Spouses, Family Members, Retirees, and DoD civilians. Contact us today at 425-304-3735 for more information or to make an appointment.
You can also visit our FFSC Career and Employment Center page for the latest job opportunities, employment benefits, career exploration, education and scholarships information and so much more.
Frequent moves offer the perfect opportunity to have a career that relocates with you. Thanks to technology, today there are more portable career options than ever before. There are also resources to help defray the cost of bringing your livelihood with you when your active-duty spouse receives PCS orders.
Military Spouse Licensure Reimbursement
A service member may be reimbursed up to $1,000 for qualifying relicensing costs of their spouse when all of the following conditions are met:
- The member is reassigned, as either a PCS or permanent change of assignment from a permanent duty station (PDS) in one state to a PDS in another state.
- The PCS movement of the member’s dependents is authorized.
- The spouse was employed in a profession requiring certification in the previous State and will be required to obtain re-certification for the same profession in the new State.
- Completion of the relicense or certification was successful.
To find out more, visit the MyNavy HR webpage and Application OF-1164.
Military Spouses can also search the Department of Labor portal at veterans.gov/milspouses, for guidelines and state laws on professional licensing, including information on how occupational licenses from one state can be recognized in another.
My Career Advancement Account Scholarship Program
The MyCAA scholarship provides up to $4,000 of financial assistance to military spouses (whose active duty member is E-1-E-5, W-1-W-3 or O-1-O-3) who are pursuing a license, certification or associate's degree in a portable career field and occupation.
For more information visit the MyCAA website at https://mycaa.militaryonesource.mil/mycaa/
Onward 2 Opportunity (O2O)
Onward to Opportunity is a free career training program that provides professional certification and employee support services to active-duty military spouses (as well as transitioning service members and veterans) in a variety of learning pathways. O2O is a program of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University and is offered virtually: https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/programs/career-training/getting-started/#1-program-steps
Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) Military Spouse Fellowships
HOH provides currently-serving military spouses with professional training, networking, and hands-on experience in the civilian workforce. The professional development and direct connection to local employers offered through the program enable military spouses to quickly build their networks and gain localized job experience.
Visit the Hiring Our Heroes webpage for more information.
Military Spouse Preference
The Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Program is a special hiring authority provided by the DoD that allows eligible spouses to be considered for federal job opportunities through a noncompetitive hiring process. MSP can be applied to NAF and federal civil service or appropriated funds positions in the continental U.S. and at overseas locations. The hiring authority replaced the Priority Placement Program (PPP) on April 1, 2019. Eligibility for spouse hiring preference does not entitle spouses to a federal job. Spouse applicants must meet the job qualifications, knowledge, skills and abilities, and satisfy additional job requirements, such as a federal background investigation.
Who is eligible for MSP?
Spouses of active-duty service members, spouses of services members or veterans who have a 100% disability rating and spouses of service members who were killed while on active duty.
How do spouses receive the hiring preference?
Eligible spouses of service members search and apply for federal positions through USAJobs.gov. They will indicate hiring preferences for which they are eligible as part of the job search and application process.
For more information visit the Military Spouse eligibility requirements at USAJobs.
Spouse Unemployment Benefits
Military spouses in 46 states can claim unemployment benefits (sometimes also called re-employment assistance) when they lose their jobs as a result of a permanent change of station (PCS).
You can apply in Washington and continue to receive unemployment at your next duty station at the WA State rate. (Out of State Claim)
To learn more about your Unemployment Benefits please visit myseco.militaryonesource.mil/.
LinkedIn Global Impact
LinkedIn is pleased to offer eligible military spouses one year of access to LinkedIn Premium.
As part of the program, you’ll also gain access to more than 17,000 courses through LinkedIn Learning to help you manage your career and nurture your professional development.
https://socialimpact.linkedin.com/programs/veterans/milspousesMilitary Spouse Employment Partnership
The Military Spouse Employment Partnership has more than 950 partner companies and organizations that have hired more than 125,000 military spouses. The MSEP Job Search on MySECO has hundreds of thousands of active jobs listed around the world.
MyStep
The Military Spouse Transition Program (MySTeP) is designed to help spouses plan, prepare and be ready for the life families want/desire after transitioning out of the military, whenever that time comes. The information, tools and programs highlighted in MySTeP will connect you to the right resources at the right time to help successfully navigate military life at every stage.
MySTeP has three information components:
- Stepping In | New Spouses
- Stepping Through | Mid-Level Career Spouses
- Stepping Beyond | For Spouses with Service members who are in the process of transitioning
Boots2Business – TAP 2-Day Career Track
This 2-day training program at the Fleet and Family Support Centers is an introduction to entrepreneurship. Increase your knowledge with follow-up workshops. Call 425-304-3735 to register.
ASPIRE Military Spouse Program
ASPIRE is a FREE 4-week program that introduces the topics of entrepreneurship within a virtual class setting. During this program, students will have the opportunity to explore, develop and expand business ideas while learning about business basics such as value creation, market research, and financial sustainability. To find out more visit the ASPIRE webpage.
Small Business Adminstration
The Small Business Administration offers an array of small business resources and free business counseling. Your local SCORE office can even match you with a mentor in your area. For more information, go to sba.gov.
MyNavy Family App
Combines authoritative information from more than two dozen websites into a single, convenient application.
Learn more and download the mobile app at applocker.navy.mil.
Navy Family E-Learning
The Navy Family Portal is designed to provide relevant and ready materials to support Navy Families 24-7.
The portal consists of:
- Navy Family eHandbook
- New Spouse Orientation Training
- Navy Spouse eLibrary
- Live Well Resiliency Webinars - Fleet and Family Support Center facilitators bring the classroom to you!
Visit mynavyfamily.com/login/index.php to create an account.
Spouse Education Career Opportunities (SECO)
The SECO program provides education and career guidance to military spouses worldwide and offers comprehensive resources and tools for all stages of career progression.
Features include:
- Comprehensive career coaching services and Online career coach discussions
- Your own MySECO Profile
- Explore the labor market
- Resume toolkit
- Military Spouse eMentor program
- SECO Scholarship Finder
- Self-assessments
Learn more on the MySECO Portal.
