First Lady Michelle Obama Calls to Smoothen Employment of Military Spouses

First Lady Michelle Obama, along with Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Joe Biden exhorted state governors upon smoother employment of military spouses and remove illogical red tape and barriers for military spouses who had professional licenses.

 
While speaking during the National Governors Association’s winter meeting at the White House, the First Lady said, “What we are asking is for a level playing field…” referring to military spouses with professional licenses banging their heads on the military’s bulletproof glass ceiling.

 
“We … want to make sure that these spouses have a fair shot to pursue their careers and support their families.”

The ladies clarified to the governors that the lack of license portability, or the ability to transfer an existing license to a new state with minimal red tape – is a prime frustration of military spouses.

 
“More than 100, 000 military spouses are affected by this maze of credentialing and requirements? 100,000 men and women…” emphasized the First Lady.

During the session it was revealed that one in every three spouses or a gross 35 percent of military spouses in the workforce has jobs requiring professional licenses or certification. Transferred postings coupled with varying and lengthy state licensure requirements create a continuing employment headache for job-seeking spouses whose family sustenance come under attack with each transfer posting.

As an example, the First Lady mentioned the case of Kelly Crowley, a pregnant military spouse, who had to relocate thrice within four years of marriage. In each new state her family’s survival was put at stake owing to the lengthy and expensive process of applying for new licenses.

Referring to Kelly, Mrs. Obama said, “She estimates that the constant moves have cost her about six months of paychecks…Six months of paychecks from a woman who wants to work, a woman serving our country.

And the whole process can be so cumbersome that she’s not even sure that she’s going to go through it again for her family’s next assignment….She’s ready to walk away from her career, because the burdens are so great.”

The first lady said that the same frustrations were applicable to military spouses who were nurses, teachers, child-care providers, accountants, dental hygienists, social workers and people working in thousands of other capacities that required professional licenses and certifications.

Mrs. Obama stressed that there is no intention to lower professional standards or to set a lower bar for military spouses, but to provide an equal opportunity to be employed for people who are clearly qualified for their jobs but prevented by red tape.

“That’s where all of you (governors) come in … Each of you has a unique opportunity to make a real difference for these families that have given all of us so much.”

The first lady also noted that some states including California, Louisiana, Illinois and Wyoming have introduced bills in the last two weeks to address this issue, while sympathetic officials in other parts of the country are coming up with their own solutions like granting temporary work licenses subject to pending verification.