CAREER PURSUIT 2021

RESOURCES 60 RECRUIT FOR SPOUSES ilitary and veteran spouses have this unique ability to adapt and overcome obstacles that many civilian individuals will never encounter, yet, often, they are grossly underestimated by the average employer. We work tirelessly to open doors for some of the most disenfranchised job hunters to gain a voice that stands out to the employer or client. Whether it’s starting their own business, re-entering the job market after a careerbreak, or simplygaining enoughconfidence to put themselves forward for employment, our coaching programme is just one of our tried-and-tested initiatives which has seen spouses upskill and thrive since its 2017 launch. And this has been ours and our military/veteran spouse members’ most successful 12-month period yet. This past year, we have encountered unprecedented times. A pandemic of a monumental scale hit our shores in early 2020 and saw our entire way of life change overnight. We became home-based workers. We became furloughed. We became full-time teachers to our children. We watched the daily reports every evening, and with each report, our futures became compounded with uncertainty. What was originally proposed as “a few weeks” of disruption has become our “new normal”. SO, WHAT PART DID THE RFS CAREER ACADEMY PLAY THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS? Firstly, our registrations frommilitary and veteran spouses shot up by a huge 287% during the first lockdown period and over 320% by the end of last year. We believe this can be put down to the pandemic and the multitude of socio-economic issues that have arisen in its wake. Our spouses have been looking for reassurance and guidance. Some have been furloughed since March 2020. Others have experienced a period of reflection during their time in lockdown and felt they needed to find a new direction in their personal and professional life and to take this time to regain a sense of identity and independence. Although this year has been unpredictable, strange, exhausting, and, for most of us, somewhat terrifying, the continuation of the coaching and upskilling programmes throughout this period of uncertainty has proven to be a huge success… with more to come. It consolidates our purpose to be a service that provides hope and guidance, in spite of the national climate. The coaching programme has been just one of the successful Career Academy programmes, because, unlike other offerings in this sphere, it is tailored to individual needs. We operate a unique screening process in which we can In the Recruit for Spouses (RfS) Career Academy, we support and empower military and veteran spouses, both nationally and globally, to reach their true career potential, despite the challenges they face. M RECRUIT FOR SPOUSES