#Power of a job — Military spouse ambassador gushes about relevant resources at WorkSource
It’s not easy having to restart your career — and your life — every time you move around the nation and the world when the military says it’s time. Washington state recognizes the many challenges faced by military families. Military spouses have higher rates of unemployment due to these frequent transitions, which is one reason Gov. Jay Inslee proclaimed May as Hire-a-Military-Spouse Month.
In addition, the WorkSource center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) — the first full-service center on a Washington military base — and the Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council have created new positions called military spouse ambassadors. These part-time positions filled by military spouses work at JBLM and reach out to other spouses, educating them about resources available through WorkSource.
Today’s Power of a Job interview is with one of JBLM’s first military spouse ambassadors: Catrina Miller.
Here is her story:
I’m a spouse ambassador at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) American Job Center. I’ve been a military spouse for the last eight years. In that time, I have gone through countless hurdles when it comes to unemployment and underemployment. In eight years, we have PCS’d [Permanent Change of Station] five times. I’ve dealt with more childcare issues than I can even begin to count!
But we landed here at JBLM, and I was offered an opportunity as a JBLM spouse ambassador through WorkSource, which has completely impacted my life when it comes to employment. I have been a JBLM spouse ambassador for two months, and I have learned so many resources available to military spouses! I can’t begin to count what’s available for military spouses.
However, I do know that if there was one thing I could suggest or recommend to military spouses about unemployment and PCS-ing, it’s that — everywhere you go — find your local WorkSource office and find the resources available to military spouses to reach your goals and get the job you want.
As partners in Washington’s WorkSource system and the American Job Center Network, the Employment Security Department helps people — unemployed or not — find new jobs and learn new skills. We help them experience the life-changing power of a job. We also work with businesses to help them find employees because we know they are Powered by Jobs.
