By Marybeth Chelanga, Army Spouse
See inside the September issue of Military Spouse Magazine:
Lessening the barriers to transitioning occupational licensing from state to state continues to be one of the focus areas in helping military spouses find employment.
As a part of this effort, both state and federal legislators have turned their attention to how they can help. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is a part of making positive change, with his state being the first in the nation to universally recognize out-of-state licenses.
“It really is the entire family that serves. And when you have a spouse that’s relocated across state lines when they are part of protecting and defending our country…and they’re not able to enter the workforce, everyone sees the injustice there,” said Ducey, in a recent phone interview.
With each Permanent Change of Station (PCS) order, military spouses often face new occupational licensing and credentialing regulations that must be adhered to in each state. This challenge means spouses may forgo trying to find a new job if the timeline or cost are prohibitive at the duty station. “No one should have to contend with these unnecessary obstacles, especially military spouses,” Ducey said. “We are taking someone as capable, confident, and educated as a military spouse and telling them, no you can’t work here. That just seems to me to be foolish policy. All we did in Arizona was present something that everyone can understand and is pure common sense. People know that you don’t lose your skills just because you cross a state line.”
The governor said the issues with occupational licensing apply not only to military
spouses but everyone. “A person doesn’t lose their skills just because they pack up a U-Haul truck,” Ducey added.
THE PUSH TO MAKE CHANGE
There have been many individuals and organizations involved in advocating for change when it comes to lessening the licensing burden. The Military Spouse JD Network (MSJDN) has been at the forefront of the effort, supporting military spouses since 2011 in the legal profession who have faced costly licensing requirements that come with each move. MSJDN has succeeded in working with 37 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands for military spouse attorney licensing accommodations and is working with the remaining states in also implementing change.
“When we create solutions for our population we are creating solutions for the American population at large, because we are often very reflective of challenges that exist in our larger population,” said Elizabeth O’Brien, senior director of the Military Spouse Program at Hiring Our Heroes (HOH).
This past June, Hiring Our Heroes, hosted its 3rd Annual Military Spouse Employment Summit at the Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., where speakers, like Ducey, talked about the importance of licensing issues when it comes to military spouse employment.
“Hiring Our Heroes opened the door for me that was once a brick wall,” said Rita Lung, a military spouse who attended the HOH event. Lung was once restricted by occupational licensing, but is now working in corporate communications at Lockheed Martin. The issue of licensing has gotten the attention of many legislators such as Martha McSally, a U.S. Air Force combat veteran who serves as the junior senator for Arizona, who also spoke at the HOH event.
The 3rd Annual Military Spouse Employment Summit took place on June 20, 2019, at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. The room was filled with people supporting the case for better military spouse employment practices. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes initiatives began in 2011 to help military spouses, veterans, and service members in transition with finding meaningful work. A lot of good change has been made since then, including individual and collective business commitments to hire military spouses, an increase in career resources for military spouses at a local and national level, plus the changes being seen with military spouse licensing transitioning requirements.
“Military spouses are resourceful and tireless people asked to do unbelievable things; the
only things holding them back are archaic licensing issues,” said McSally. Goldwater Institute, which had attendees at the conference, has been instrumental in making a case for military spouses and those with occupational licenses who have faced the difficulties that come with moving from state to state.
“When military spouses move from state to state, many have to retake training and pay fees just to continue in their jobs as doctors, hairdressers, radiologists or teachers,” said Randy Kendrick, a 25-year former military dependent and spouse. “They spend precious time and precious money before they are allowed to do something that is the most basic human right: the right to work.” Kendrick is a board member of the Goldwater Institute, which is now forming a coalition with veteran’s organizations and other like-minded think tanks to take this universal license acceptance law to other states.
“What Arizona has just done is revolutionary among all the states. Arizona has decreed it will accept all work licenses (in good standing) from every other state,” said Kendrick. “This will benefit everyone in the country—but the group who will benefit the most are military spouses and veterans.”
LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE
The hope is that one day soon, a military spouse can follow their service member anywhere within the United States and find and secure a job without having to face any great hindrances or red tape in their way. “Universal recognition is one more way we can show those who serve our country that not only do we appreciate their service in word, but in action,” said Ducey. With moving on average every two to three years, creating universal licensing will allow military spouses to get back to work and support their families.
Q & A WITH ELIZABETH O’BRIEN, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF THE MILITARY SPOUSE PROGRAM AT HIRING OUR HEROES.
MS: Which occupations do you find are most affected by licensing red tape?
EO: Traditionally we are always thinking of lawyers, doctors, teachers, nurses having challenges with red tape and licensing and credentialing. The reality is there are also those with occupational licenses, whether they are dental hygienists, or cosmetologists, or creating floral arrangements. Those are people who are also being hit extremely hard.
MS: How will the licensing efforts made by Gov. Ducey and the state of Arizona directly impact you and the military spouses you are supporting?
EO: I love every time states innovate and create solutions because it allows us to challenge other states across the country with this model of success and ask how do we get it done there. We know for military spouse employment, we need to go state by state, and community by community to create solutions. Anytime a state innovates, everybody loves competition, and it puts pressure on other states.
MS: Would you say that states play a crucial role in the hiring of military spouses and need to see the worth in cutting the licensing red tape?
EO: Military spouse employment is really interesting because we are 10 times more likely to move across state lines than our civilian counterparts, so this is where at Hiring Our Heroes we have really turned our eye to creating community-based solutions. Taking it all the way down to community to community to create change and to create opportunity and to build network. You then move up community to community, county by county, to then state.
MS: To an unemployed or underemployed military spouse who previously encountered the restrictions of licensing, what is the biggest changes being made that they should be aware of?
EO: I would encourage military spouses to follow legislation that’s being proposed, so that they can keep track of what’s going on in their state. Oftentimes laws are passed that spouses aren’t even aware of. Many states already have laws in place to be helpful to military spouses.