The Empowering You workshop is a three-day hybrid event that offers a blend of virtual and in-person sessions. It is designed to address the challenges of Service life faced by military women, spouses, and partners. The workshops are open to male or female partners who may also be separated, divorced, or bereaved. Our latest workshop was held in London and Glasgow from Monday, 30 September, to Wednesday, 2 October.
In this article, we will uncover the impact of this workshop and key takeaways and highlight why you should join future sessions. Whether you want to boost your own support for military spouses and partners, join us in empowering the military community.
Why is it important to support military women, spouses, and partners?
Navigating the complexities of Service life often means military families have to juggle frequent relocations, career disruptions, social or physical isolation, caring responsibilities, and more. These challenges can feel overwhelming, especially when seeking meaningful employment. Military spouses may have career gaps and difficulty identifying transferrable skills and experiences. This makes transitioning to civilian life and or re-entering the workforce daunting.
The military lifestyle can make ‘9-to-5’ jobs difficult for military spouses and partners. Military bases are typically located in remote, secluded, or rural areas, making it harder to access jobs that fit around Service life. In fact, of the 38% of spouses who looked for a job last year, about 63% experienced difficulties finding suitable employment. These challenges and barriers to employment can diminish confidence.
The Empowering You workshop aims to help military women, spouses, and partners find fulfilling careers. We have military-friendly employers who recognise your unique talents and potential challenges.
Event overview
Day 1
Our Employment Advisors, Sarah Peñaluna, Meresa Lewis, and Tanja Allen, led day one. This session served as an introduction to the workshop, its agenda, and what to expect. Our Advisors also delivered segments on confidence building and personal branding. These skills and attributes prepared delegates for the corporate setting of day two.
Day 2
On day two, we all met in person. We were hosted in the state-of-the-art Barclays’ Glasgow campus and London, their global headquarters. Delegates had the opportunity to discuss their CVs with corporate mentors. This free one-to-one experience encouraged delegates to recognise their transferrable skills. It gave them the confidence and skill to tailor their CV to each job application.
In London, we enjoyed hearing from Alison Harwood, Director of Principal Structuring at Barclays. As a military spouse, Alison talked to us about her experiences in Service life. She explained that she believes that as military spouses, “we don’t always fully recognise the transferrable skills that being a military spouse equips us with, but they are so valuable!” and urged our attendees to stop, think, and reflect on the skills being a military spouse has awarded them, and how to translate these into civilian workforces.
Day 3
We showcased a range of industry opportunities via our partner employers. We were joined by representatives from leading organisations such as Barclays and Amazon. Delegates learned about each employer, pathways for military families, and job vacancies. During their presentations, employers also introduced existing employees who were military spouses. This provided insight into their recruitment journey and experience of climbing the work ladder.
Key takeaways
The main goal of the workshop is to help military spouses and partners understand the value of their transferrable skills. During the workshop, delegates networked with mentors, peers, and prospective employers. This corporate experience allows them to explore multiple job routes, demystifying the notion that they cannot succeed in corporate settings.
Reflecting on the event, Sarah, a military spouse, said, “It is powerful to speak to other [military spouses and partners] in the same situation as you. Although you may be at different points in your journey, being able to advise, talk, and help others helps you, in turn, to feel empowered.”
The workshop was a unique learning opportunity for employers. It allowed them to converse directly with those they aimed to support. Hearing the experiences of delegates will help improve their recruitment processes. In turn benefiting the military community as employers strive to understand their needs.
Why should employers get involved?
All our partner employers are military-friendly and come from different sectors. Many of the employer representatives have military ties and are looking to give back. They understand that offering military community members employment opportunities will strengthen their workforce. Implementing flexible working conditions will help with employment retention and, above all, career progression. Allowing military spouses and partners to thrive in roles that were once out of reach.
During the Empowering You workshop, we were joined by:
Kevin Gartside, Global Head of Military and Veterans Outreach at Barclays, noted that as an employer, it brings a broader diversity of thought, which adds huge value to us as a business. Not only that but matching individuals to the right sectors and jobs are also beneficial to the wider economy. Speaking from a military family standpoint, Kevin says, “You don’t know what you don’t know,” particularly when it comes to learning and applying skills to a new industry sector. “If we can help people identify their potential strengths and skills, then we can make employment opportunities more optimal for them.”
Military spouses and partners may have gaps in their CVs or lack the exact experiences employers look for. However, their soft skills such as resilience, adaptability, and communication, make them invaluable.
Your top 5 reasons to attend Empowering You in the future
- Expert sessions: Delivered by our expert team. These sessions help to build confidence and personal brand and enhance employability.
- Networking: Connect with employer representatives who can help connect you to hiring managers. Meet fellow military spouses and partners in person.
- One-on-one mentoring: Receive a free session with a corporate mentor. They will tailor your CV for specific job roles and help you realise your career ambitions.
- Hear from employers: Learn about relevant employment pathways and job opportunities.
- Transferrable skills: Understand the value your unique military experience brings to civilian employers.
Who can attend?
The Empowering You workshop is exclusively available to Forces Employment Charity clients. You must also meet one of the following criteria:
- Military women – Female Service leavers or veterans
- Military spouses and partners – Regardless of gender any spouse or partner of serving personnel, veteran, or reservist. Even if you are separated, divorced, or bereaved, we invite you to join us.
As we kicked off the event on day one, a delegate commented she felt “excited to have the time and space away from home. to stop and be able to absorb and really think about everything we are doing over the course of the workshop.” Balancing Service life with caring responsibilities or your career can mean little time for oneself. The workshop offers the time and space to appreciate one’s tenacity and recognise a world full of possibilities.
Sarah Peñaluna added, “You don’t know where conversations today will lead you tomorrow,” leaving a smile on the faces of attendees.
Future events
The Empowering You team plans to offer more workshops and sessions in 2025. These events will continue to feature virtual components, ensuring accessibility for all.
A message from Kate Mai, National Employment Projects Manager,
At the Forces Employment Charity, we understand that Service life impacts the entire family. So we are deeply committed to empowering military women, spouses, and partners. Our Empowering You workshops bring together a community of like-minded individuals. We provide the space for those with common lived experiences to uplift and support each other, reducing social isolation. These workshops allow delegates to engage with industry professionals in a corporate setting.
Our employer partners play a key role in these sessions. They offer valuable insights by listening to the needs of those they aim to support. Furthermore, they share military family pathways and job opportunities. While also deciphering job roles and descriptions for delegates. This process breaks down the job advertisement into key skills and attributes. The corporate mentoring session provided specialist advice to help refine delegates’ CVs. The mentoring sessions encouraged delegates to consider their existing skills and identify areas for professional growth.
This workshop is a crucial stepping stone for military spouses, women, and partners. It offers the tools, connections, and confidence needed to succeed in the civilian workforce.
Are you interested in attending a future workshop?
Check our events page for upcoming workshop announcements and registration details. Whether you seek a new career or want to improve your confidence, this event will help you thrive.
If you are an employer and would like to learn more about the event and get involved, please get in touch with Kate Mai.
