New Scheme To Support Careers Of Military Partners

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is funding a new scheme to support military spouses with improving their career options.

The Partner Career Support Programme is being introduced on a trial basis and is designed to appeal to a wide range of people at different stages in their respective careers.

With 750 places available over the next six months, the course is set to start on 1 November.

Karen Carroll, from the Careers Transition Partnership, said those wanting to take part in the course can expect to be "linked to their own career consultant" to discuss what they want their career to look like.

"With the consultant's help they will help to create their own personal career plan, which will really form the basis and the structure of then going through the programme," she said.

The MOD hopes the course will help the partners overcome some of the difficulties associated with the military lifestyle, such as a partner being posted to a new location.

Designer and finance lecturer Jessica Consterdine said her husband’s military career hasn’t helped with her own job aspirations.

"I met my husband in university and as soon as I met him, I knew my life was going to be very interesting and filled with adventure," she said.

"Moving to Cyprus and then moving to all of these other great camps have not been as positive as I assumed it would be for my career."

Business partnerships executive Christoper Pitts, whose husband is in the Royal Navy, said it can be challenging when trying to "start out a new career in a new location".

He said: "People would ask you about being in the military, how long your husband was still posted here for? How long you were in your last one, what it was going to potentially look like in the future."

However, Ms Consterdine said it is important for military spouses to show that just because their "lifestyle is a bit different", it does not mean they are not employable. 

"It doesn't mean that we are not assets to a company and I’m still thankful for the opportunities that I’ve had," she said.

"And I’ve come to so many more because I am a military spouse."

For more information on the Partner Career Support Programme, click here.