One of the bright spots for Lumen at the end of 2020 was being accepted into the Department of Defense’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP). We are excited about this partnership and the opportunity it presents for Lumen to engage military spouses in the creation and continuous improvement of our Waymaker and OHM courseware.

“We are thrilled to be part of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership. We have been working with military spouses for several years now and have been impressed by the dedication and commitment that they bring to the table. We’re looking forward to expanding our collaboration and working with even more military spouses over the years to come,” shares Ross Strader, Vice President of Learning Engineering, whose team works closely with subject matter experts to create Lumen’s openly licensed content.

While military spouses are well educated and highly qualified for a range of careers, they face a 24% unemployment rate and a 25% wage gap compared to their civilian counterparts.
Seventy-seven percent of these spouses want or need work, yet frequent relocation is often a barrier to finding and maintaining a continuous career. The inability of spouses to obtain and retain employment as they relocate with the military compromises the quality of life of military families and the readiness of the military force.

MSEP is part of the DoD’s broader Spouse Education and Career Opportunities, or SECO, initiative, which seeks to strengthen the education and career opportunities of military spouses by providing:

  • Career exploration opportunities to help them understand their skills, interests, and goals
  • Education and training to help them identify academic, licensing, or credentialing requirements that can help them reach their career goals
  • Employment readiness assistance to optimize their self-marketing skills
  • Employment connections that help them find and maintain a rewarding career

MSEP, a targeted recruitment and employment solution, creates employment connections that provide companies with direct access to military spouses seeking career opportunities and spouses with direct access to employers who are actively recruiting. We’re proud of joining the MSEP community because it allows us to engage with and support military spouses wherever they may be stationed. We are grateful for their service and sacrifice and look forward to our partnership.