Military spouses planning to reenter the workforce were able to get some of the tools they need to succeed in Downtown Fayetteville at the Amplify event hosted by the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation. 

The program is a part of Hiring our Heroes, a 501 (C)(3) nonprofit organization and initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce which focuses on providing new Veterans and those preparing to leave military service with the tools and training they need to join the civilian workforce. 

Amplify, is a program within that program which provides support and focuses on spouses of military service members as they prepare for civilian jobs. 

A two-day workshop was held between Feb. 15-16 for military spouses focused on career preparation, professional development, and networking. The event included interactive sessions including “Building Effective Resumes for the Military Spouse,” “Public and Professional Speaking” and “Salary Negotiation.”   Attendees also connected with local employers Fortuna BMC, FirstHealth of the Carolinas and Booz Allen Hamilton, who are prepared to hire those with military connections who may have different needs and requirements. 

“The most important thing for us is being intentional with the employers that we're connecting with and the local community here in Fort Bragg is absolutely incredible,” said Amplify Team Member Maegan Bautista. “Of course, we have a large installation, so everyone is excited to be involved with veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses. For us at Amplify, and in the military spouse program team, we want to make sure that the company understands the differences when hiring a military spouse because the lifestyle looks a little bit different when it comes to deployment flexibility and Permanent Change of Station (PCS) potentially every two to three years. So, making sure that they actually have workforce policies in place to be able to support a military spouse who might be here at Fort Bragg, but in two years has to move somewhere else.”  

According to their website, Hiring Our Heroes defines a military spouse as “Any person whose career has been impacted by military service. This term includes veteran spouses, Gold Star spouses, active-duty spouses, Reserve spouses, National Guard spouses, domestic partners, and caregivers.”

 This is the first Amplify event to take place in Fayetteville since 2019. The FCEDC hosted the event providing space for the 35 spouses and 15 employers that attended.

“What a tremendous event, focusing in on some of the truly unsung heroes, military spouses.  It’s crucial that we support partnerships and events like this, which FCEDC was proud to host,” shared FCEDC Executive Vice President Rob Patton. “This was an impressive group of employers as well, from non-profits to local businesses. Several of the spouses in attendance will ultimately be employed as a direct result of this event. They all made valuable connections, relationships, and learned they are not alone out there. Thank you Hiring Our Heroes, Veterans Bridge Home, and all the other team mates that made this possible!” 

This was the only in-person session planned for 2023 in Fayetteville, however virtual Amplify sessions are available on the program website every month. 

“It's accommodating not only to people maybe in Hawaii or the west coast, but it also really helps when we're serving different time zones so that if someone does have a full time job, they can hop up and come kind of as their schedule allows,” said Bautista. 

You can find out more about the Amplify program online here:

https://www.hiringourheroes.org/career-services/education-networking/amplify/