Military Spouse to the Project Management Institute's (PMI's) Military Team

Yeah. So, PMI, we are the, the certifying body of project management standards, projects, programs, portfolios, and AI project management. And my role in the military side of the house really focuses on making sure our service members, veterans, and their families can access our certifications and training at no cost to them, which is my favorite part.

I think our service members and our veteran community have given so much already. We don't need them to come out of pocket, to get certified and really elevate their career opportunities. So that's what my role really focuses on.

I am. So both of my parents served on active duty. My dad retired. He was a public affairs officer, and my mom was a supply chain officer. She separated after 10 years, and then after swearing that I would never marry the military because I grew up in a very military town, I, you know, at 20 years old, found myself very married, and moving across the country to, you know, Las Vegas with my husband who's still on active duty.

Yeah. So both my parents and my husband, were Air Force, and my husband is still Air Force. I guess once Air Force, always Air Force, or is that Marines only?

I don't know. but my parents were both Air Force, service members, and my husband's also active duty Air Force.

Yes. We have done six duty stations now, in our 15 years of marriage. He's been in for about 22 years, and we are now in southern Virginia at Joint Base Langley-Eustis.

Yes. well, people always ask me, "Oh, which duty station is your favorite?" I always say it's the last one, because you never appreciate what you have until it's gone. and in our case, we came from Canada, so we did a short, duty tour in Canada, and now we're in Vegas, so...

or in Virginia, sorry. And interestingly, I prefer the summers of Canada, and the winters of Virginia. I think

Yes, exactly

No ... somewhere else? I have a very

I think military spouses will probably be able to relate to this quite well. I have a very sorted and, you know, jungle gym-like career background. I actually, you know, when I met my husband, I was pursuing a nursing degree, and then we moved across the country and his, you know, work took precedence, so I stepped back from pursuing that.

And when I did reenter the workforce, it was, you know, hourly type roles. I was a, you know, cashier at Ann Taylor. I supported people's acquisition of good clothing and style. And then as I, you know, grew, I decided, oh, I wanna do hair. That's very portable. I could run a salon. I could do all of this.

So I went to cosmetology school, and I did hair for a number of years until I realized that clientele don't move with you. and so- Right ... in that time I also did photography and graphic design, and really, you know, a lot, a little bit of a lot of things, and strategic volunteering. And it wasn't until, you know, 2019 that I really sat down and thought, "I need a long-term career," and it certainly wasn't gonna be in project management.

I was gonna be a crisis manager and really handle all of the crisises of the world. and then I got hired by PMI, so that kind of helped -

shape

Yeah. And-

Yeah ... kind of

management or pretty Yeah

on the ground? So very much, you know, there's a, a very famous crisis manager named Judy Smith. They, wrote a whole television series about her called Scandal, and I was like, "That's what I'm gonna do." joke's on me. It's not anything like the TV show. And so as I, you know, was working for PMI and learning more about what project management is as a profession, I looked back at my entire career, both my paid and unpaid experience, and I realized this is what I've really been doing all along, and there is a lot of risk management and crisis management that goes into making sure your project is successful, and it just became this very natural progression into- being, you know, within the project management space

Yes. Exactly. it might not be flashy, but it's needed, and I've really grown to appreciate the behind-the-scenes aspects of project management. I don't need to be out in front of people or, you know, doing all of the things to really feel like my work is making an impact.

no, so I've been with PMI since 2021. 20- yeah, 2021. I'm like, "Oh, I have to think about it." I went for my bachelor's in 2019, and I graduated in 2021. So I went back to school and got, you know, a business management degree.

And then as soon as I graduated, I was really fortunate to start with a different organization. And then about two weeks after starting with them, PMI found me and, you know, I took that opportunity to solidify, you know, a more long-term career opportunity with PMI. And so I've been with them ever since.

So going on, five... I think we're past five years at this point.

Yeah, so that's a great question.

I did not start in the military side. There wasn't really a solidified military side of PMI when I joined. They were just kind of restarting that aspect up. So I actually started on the B2B enterprise side for post, you know, engagement operations. So very operationally heavy, making sure our clients got what they needed.

lots of task management that was rolling up into bigger projects, and it really gave me a great working understanding of what clients are needing in project management and how to manage, like, the smaller components of a project. And then in 2023, I made that switch to join the military vertical, if you will.

from scratch? I believe so. That is my understanding, is that we had like a government piece to it, and that there w- there were people doing this work.

The, you know, the base infrastructure was there, but there wasn't a dedicated team or a dedicated person really overseeing that. It was at some point somebody started it, and then, you know, as roles changed and evolved, those- ... duties, you know, kind of just kept getting passed along to other individuals.

and then when I came and joined, you know, the North America team, and based on my background with over, you know, the two and a half years doing strict operations, it really... I- it gave me a great baseline to say, "Oh, I see what's going on here," and really wrangle that in and say, "Okay-" "... we're gonna actually develop this into a really well-oiled, machine and a really well-oiled program."

And so it really was kismet that I had that operational background to start before stepping into my current role, so I could really understand what needed to happen.

So I would say probably in 20- late 2023. It's always been there. Service members have always been able to access our certifications on various programs like the VA, like COOL or Credentialing Assistance. We've always been on the Spouse Works scholarship. But the awareness of that and making it, you know, being able to provide a streamlined experience on how to use it, what steps are needed for that service member, how can we support a veteran and, you know, engaging with them, that we really started putting in the work on that in about 2023, 2024 when we realized, oh, hey, like, this is bigger than any of us could have imagined, and it's more desired than I think any of us could have imagined.

Yeah, so our Global Accreditation Center, like they are fantastic partners. I will say they have such a well-run program over there. And while that is handled by that team, we are always looking at how can we better collaborate with them. you know, I even think about our military universities and our academies, and how can we as PMI certify not just, you know, a standard university, which we do all of the time, and that's wonderful, and there's often crossover programs like GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon programs where our GAC schools are also participating in VA, approval.

And so our service members can go to a GAC school to get their certific- to get their education and then come out prepared to sit for certification. So there's that component of it. But we're also looking at how can we engage directly with our academies, like the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy, West Point, et cetera, because we do understand that there is this need to start early.

That is one of my... I, well, I'm a foot stomper on the earlier you get certified, the more valuable it is long-term because you learn to develop- ... those skills throughout your career, as opposed to waiting until the very end, like a lot of us do, myself included, to get that certification and now, you know, you're not playing catch-up per se, but you don't have those years of, you know, standards experience.

So we're always looking at how we can, better partner with universities. But to your question, a lot of the universities are on our GAC program are also approved for GI Bill funding for our students, and they often have a great tie-in too with our local chapters who often have military liaisons.

And it really creates, you know, for lack of a better word, a, a perfect flywheel of, you know, getting them educated, getting them involved in the community, and then getting them certified so that they can go back into the community and, one, execute, the duties of the role better, but also stay engaged with other professionals in the project management community.

No, 100%. I think the way I look at it, and this is, you know, as somebody who I would consider myself a late learner, I didn't go to school till later in life or at least finished going to school later in life and then I did a lot very quickly.

You know, I got my bachelor's degree in two years. I took a year off and I actually went back and get, got an MBA. and then I eventually got the PMP a year after that. So I was, you know, very late, but very fast burning. I think when we're looking at education it really does provide that knowledge base, and the certification and this is how I talk about it with our service members and our spouses, is your degree is wonderful.

It provides you that knowledge that you might not have otherwise had, but it shows your commitment to a thing over a period of time, whereas that certification takes that knowledge and validates that you have the ability to apply it and execute on what you've learned. And so when we're partnering with our schools, and we bo- I believe currently it's bachelor's and master's programs, and even some doctoral programs are eligible.

I know that there's, you know, been discussions about expanding it even to an associate level, colleges just so that we, again, can get in early, reduce that barrier to entry. But we're looking at how can we best prepare them to execute on this knowledge that we're teaching them. And when we've got somebody coming out of, you know, university with a GAC bachelor's degree, what certification best lines up with where they're at in life?

That's probably a CAPM. They might not have had professional experience if they're a young, you know, what I might consider a traditionally aged college student. we want them to start immediately. Like, let's get you a CAPM, let's integrate that into your education. And then as you look at more master's levels programs or an MBA, for instance, how can we get them into that PMP?

Because you have that professional experience, and so you're combining truly the two best aspects, is the knowledge and the validation of execution, into one overarching program to benefit, you know, their career and their both short-term and long-term goals, whether our service members, their families, and others in the community.

I think, and this is, I'll say this specifically for, like, our currently serving members, I think it's an awareness about the value and importance.

So often, and, you know, I speak from experience as my husband has gone through TAP recently as we're preparing for, like, that next phase, in life and he's, you know, I don't know when you're considered a transitioning service member, but we are well on that way. is so often they, while you're still in, you're not thinking about how can I be better at my job in a way that translates to the civilian world?

It's what does the military look for? And what do they say is important? And like, oh, a certificate, why would I get a certification if it's not gonna get me more money right now? And but as soon as you start going to TAP, as soon as you start doing that pre-separation preparedness, it's get your certifications, get your education.

This is what civilians want. And so I think it's an awareness that the value is not limited to post-service experience, that there is value- ... in getting a, even a CAPM within the first five years of entering the service. So because you wanna be able to show your leadership, whether you're on the enlisted side or the officer side, that you can support and run a well-executed project because it's better for everybody.

It's better for you as a service member, it's better for your unit, and it's better for the military. Rather, what we often see happening is, "Oh, well, it's not gonna help me get a promotion. I'm not gonna use this every day." Or my favorite is, "That's not really my job." So they don't correlate what they're doing as project management, which I was guilty of myself, because there's nobody there to explain what you're doing is a project, and guess what?

There's a really good way to do it well.

No, 100%. And I, you know, the way I look at it is I have a PMP.

I got, I personally got my PMP, last September, so I'm one year. I'm a one-year, one-month PMP. But I've been doing projects for 15 years, you know? I, whether I was employed or not, whether I had the title... And for the record, I've never had a title that said project manager, but projects were, have been a key aspect of each and every one of my roles in different ways.

And I think that's the other thing, is people not putting two and two together that the work that they're doing every day is either, A, a project in and of itself, or B, in support of a project. And- Yeah ... we wanna make sure that our service members and their families are in a position to quantify and validate their experience, and that is what the certification does.

And, you know, when you're looking at, you know, I'll use a junior NCO or an airman or an, you know, a soldier, a young soldier early in their career. While that might not lead directly to a promotion, getting the certification, it does show your desire towards professional development, and it gives you the framework to operate at the highest level, for your project success.

Which does breed in and of itself the opportunity for greatness, in that if you are doing your job well, not just, "Hey, I'm showing up and I'm doing the work," but, "I am doing it very well. I'm maintaining my metrics. I'm on time. I'm under budget. I am meeting my milestones, and I can quantify that." That's going to speak loudly when you go, you know, for promotions, when you're writing your, we call them EPBs in the Air Force, and your supervisors will be able to point to you as a subject matter expert in the area.

Which will help you both short and long-term. And then as, you know, you go through your career, whether it's, you know, a single contract term or you are a full, you go do the whole career, the whole 20-plus years, you will then be building on that throughout your entire career.

No. I think... So I pull these numbers actually fairly frequently for our military spouses as well, who are looking at how to, you know, quantify their own experience and, you know, look at- Readily accessible jobs that they'd be great fits for. So according to the Department of Labor from the last time I checked, a project coordinator or entry-level project manager, you are looking at, you know, not six figures quite yet 'cause you're still building that experience, but definitely 68 to $75,000 is the numbers that I was seeing.

But again, based on your experience and how you're able to express that, you know, it can be higher depending on your role and location. And of course, the responsibilities. And I think when you are positioning yourself as not just an entry-level project manager, but a certified project manager, and yeah, you might not have 5 or 10 years of experience under your belt, but you do have that certification that validates your expertise and the ability to execute on your knowledge in th- in those projects.

That is gonna place you, you know, higher in the employment pool of, "Hey, I know what I'm doing. I'm not just talk, I'm action, and I can walk in confident and prepared. My spin-up time might be less. you know, I'm gonna be able to hit the ground running with an employer," and that's valuable to our employers.

Yeah. Well, and I will say, too, you know, that in that instance we're talking about the CAPM. I know the PM- PMI, we have published data about, you know, we have our annual salary survey, and I believe the last time I read it from, I believe it was our 2024 or 2025 salary survey, came out and said that the average PMP is making approximately $135,000 a year.

So, you know, as you get that experience and as you, you know, grow within that profession, there's certainly room to grow. And you have that ability. You know, I can speak for myself where I've, you know, I have received promotion, I have received pay raises within my own company due to me getting my PMP as, you know-

one of many factors. And What that shows is not just my commitment to growing myself, but my willingness to do so in a shared framework and methodology. You know, to your point, you were talking about junior NCOs and, you know, lower enlisted being able to speak that language of their senior NCO counterparts and their officer counterparts.

Let's also talk about that civilian sector, where they are able to communicate very well, where you're speaking the same language as your civilian counterparts and your contractor counterparts. So it really is that whole, it's a 360 holistic of I'm bettering myself, I'm bettering my unit, and I'm building a, you know, stronger foundation for my project so I can communicate across branches, across ranks, and across sectors.

Yeah, I think that's great. You know, as somebody that, again, the fun term I use is accidental project manager, 'cause you're not titled and probably don't even know you're doing it, is, you know, the PMI official, right, is a, a project is, something that has a start date, an end date, and a unique outcome.

The first thing I always tell people is, if you have PCS'd, you've handled a project. I then follow that up immediately with, you can't use that on your PMP application. So- ... you know, I wish we could. We can't. But a, you know, a PCS is a project. A deployment is a project. I, and you know, in the Air Force we have something called the Key Support Mentorship Program, Key Support Liaison Program.

Used to be known as Key Spouse, very similar to an FRG. but I, in my capacity as a key support mentor, I'm overseeing the support connections between our families and unit leadership. So if I'm planning a spaghetti dinner because, you know, the unit's just come off of a week-long 24/7 exercise, that's a project, and I'm being made aware of that three months in advance.

Hey, we've got this upcoming thing. That's the start of my project. I've been made aware that we need to have food on a date. Then everything up to that, that's my planning and, you know, getting the ingredients, finding volunteers, cooking the food, you know, all of that, you know, doing the planning. Who's gonna be handling all that?

Then the day of comes, and now we're cooking. That's a project all the way through- Risk

Oh my gosh, yes. How are we gonna carry 12 pounds of spaghetti sauce, keep it hot, and are there food concerns? That, that was a big one. Th- and this, by the way, is a real story. I did this for a 200-person unit.

and managing that start to finish is a project, and that is a project you can use on your PMP application or your other, PMI appl- applications. you can't use moves, you can't use weddings, you can't use personal home improvement projects. But those are all really tangible examples of, like, if this is a project, what else is a project?

So supporting unit leadership. I think my husband on his PMP application used developing a hybrid work schedule, as, you know, because... And again, I will say this, 'cause I say this to all of our service member friends, please don't put anything too interesting on that application. We don't care that much, okay?

We just need the s- the start, the end, and the unique outcome. We don't need- We don't need crazy details. We don't want crazy details. But very simple projects still count. Developing a hybrid work schedule for your unit, that's a project. Anything where you're starting it, you're finishing it, and there's a unique outcome is a great, easy project.

example.

So I will say this. You can use a wedding and you can use a move. You just can't use your own.

Say, just like you can't use your own home improvement project. Oh. And people are always like, "Why can't I do that?" And this is where, you know, I will go on the record as Brittany personally, not Brittany from PMI, but Brittany personally thinks you should be able to use a PCS. B- and here's why. The, when you're talking about your own move, your own wedding, your own home improvement, you know, project, you're the sponsor and the stakeholder.

So- Your metrics could be a little bit like, "Well, I think I did a great job." And so when you're, judge, jury, and executioner, you're doing a great job every day. And that's, I... My understanding is that's the thought process why you can't use your own wedding. But you can, if you are planning somebody else's wedding, that is a project.

I think the PCSs should be c- you know, counted. Again, going on record not as PMI but as Brittany, because it's not my choice that, to move. Yeah. In a traditional moving sense, I've got time to plan. I can scout the schools ahead of time. Our move from Canada, we were notified, it would happen in December and the, the, at the very end of December, 27th.

And we were wheels up, January 25th and to a, you know- Oh, wow. ... to fly to the States. So, you know, to figure out where are we going, doctor's appointments, schools, housing, all of that, is very different than a traditional personally procured mo- move where you're like, "Oh, I think we're gonna move this summer."

as opposed to the government coming in and saying, "Oh, no, you are moving, and here's three weeks notice. Good luck and Godspeed, and no help, and maybe a few broken couches."

Over the holiday season. And, oh, your kids... By the way, you had just moved, eight months ago, so the forms you're gonna have to fill out for DLA have the most fun.

finance is closed.

So, you know, working through all that. So I understand on, like, the traditional side. But to your point- Yeah ... you can do a wedding. You just can't do your own, 'cause you're gonna say you did a great job.

a mother-in-law. You know, you could have a spouse or a mother. I'm very blessed. My mother-in-law thought the wedding was great. The only thing I messed up was spelling my husband's name wrong on the invitations.

And for the record- ... we all missed it, due to the fancy font. Those double T's will get you every time. but you know, I want, I really want our service members and our veterans and our spouses to realize that, like, they're doing this all day every day. Whether it's a massive project like a process implementation or improvement, whether that's AI integration into your workforce, which I know is really big at the moment, or whether it's as simple as, you know, leading a spaghetti dinner for a unit of 200, which sounds more simple than it is.

or leading VBS. You know, putting on a, a base-wide event. Those are still projects. And- Fun fact, at PMI you don't have to have the title of project manager for your project to count, and you don't have to receive a payment. That's actually not a question. Your salary-

or your wage while completing the project is not a question that's asked.

They do ask about the project budget- ... but that's separate. And so you don't need to be a paid project manager for your experienced account.

Yes. Yes, they just expanded. Yes. 'Cause they really wanted to lower that barrier to entry is, you know, you have experience, you need a little bit less 'cause you've taken that time to get educated. And, you know- ... education is such a critical aspect. So yes, it's, five years for high school diploma, four years for associate's degrees, three years for bachelor's degrees and higher.

And if you get a bachelor's degree or higher from a global accredited, center for education, and one of our GAC schools, it's actually two years. So-

they're really recognizing the value- that education plays in supporting your, you know, project outcomes.

And I think the CAPM is such an undervalued certification.

People look at it as very entry level, so they associate that with, like, a very, like, a young generation, somebody who has no work experience. But the reality is most people m- or some people might not need a PMP. If you are not a project manager managing projects every day, what if you're just supporting your team and your team is overseeing those projects but, and you don't have any certifications?

You don't need to necessarily have a PMP, but having a CAPM still gives you that framework understanding of the PMI methodology that helps you support your team or helps you be a supporting member of a project team. If you're there as a coordinator or just a general supporting friend, you know, a supportive, teammate, you might not need the day in and the day out PMP aspect, but you do need that foundational understanding and the framework so that you can speak the language and better support their project.

I think, you know, in increasing awareness that CAPM, while it is entry level in the fact that you don't need experience, it doesn't mean it's only for people who, you know, are at the beginning of their career.

100%. And I think, too, it's like there's aspects of, you know, once you're certified, you know all the things you're supposed to do, right? So you have a project charter, and you're supposed to have this, have all your deliverables and your, oh, the word I'm looking for. It starts with an A. I wanna say archives, but that's not right The things that you're, you learn about that you're supposed to do for every single artifact, that's what we're looking for.

You're supposed to have all your artifacts. You might not do that every single time, but if you're involved with your local chapter, you better believe that you are adhering to that p- that PMI standard throughout the entire project. So it really gets you comfortable with doing that. I just attended this past weekend, the PMI WDC, I drove up for it, their annual conference.

That was a production. It was like a mini global summit. There was a gala. There was a whole day of professional... They had fantastic speakers. They had PMI fellows. And, you know, they had an awards ceremony, all of this. And that doesn't just happen overnight. That's a project, and it's put on strictly by our volunteers, which is just such an amazing opportunity to showcase that you don't need to be paid to be doing your work.

And again, all these people, they were, you know, got to be exposed to so many different aspects of project management and have a key supporting role in that, which will also allow them to utilize that if they're on that certification journey

I do, and it's such... Like, that we have very large chapters like PMI WDC, PMI Atlanta, but what I think a lot of people don't realize is that we have over 300 chapters globally with o- like I think 178 to 180 here in the US, and for our service members, their spouses, and our veteran community, that means there is a PMI chapter near you.

And even better, if you're a PMI member, you can become a PMI chapter member, at least through the end of this year at no cost because we do have a military chapter guest pass. And I love my military community. I am one of those all-in spouses. I'm a volunteer. I will do the spouses club. I will volunteer with the unit.

But I also understand that sometimes to grow professionally we need to get outside of our bubble, and we need to network with the community more broadly, and I really think that PMI does such a beautiful job of that. And many of our chapters have military liaisons so that when you do have a service member, regardless of where they're at in their career, but they're like, "I don't know how to like translate my skills.

I'm a military spouse, I don't... Does this count as a project?" They're your sounding board. You can go in and talk- ... to them in person. You don't have to, you know, wait for myself or one of my colleagues to have time on the calendar. You can go to monthly events. You can go and network and learn about how to be a better project manager, learn about what project management is, and then look holistically at your experience and your background and get- You know, mentorship and advice on what would be best aligned with where you're at and where you wanna go.

I am. And yeah, they're, they are a fantastic chapter. I am personally a member of the Hampton Roads chapter because that's where we're stationed. but I am very blessed to have the opportunity to travel to DC a lot.

I don't know if blessed is the right word, but it is the word we're using. But what's really cool is, it, you know, that, that's one example. the Hampton Roads chapter is another great example. I'm very close with their leadership there, and they have such a heart for giving back to our military community and being a resource.

And same, you know, I know folks at the Sacramento chapter and at the San Diego chapter, and every chapter I've interacted with has just a passion, not just for project management, but for our service members and their families to really provide a space for them to come network and learn. And I hope that our service members get more engaged.

I hope our spouses get more engaged, and it provides them a, you know, an external sounding board, if you will. So you go, "This is how it is in the military, and this is how it is when I was in or now, you know, I might still be in. But here's how it is on the outside, and how can we align, and how can you grow so that you're- Yeah

balancing both aspects of project management.

Yeah, so that's a fun question. Thank you.

No, no

please, I'm sorry it's totally okay. No. So currently at PMI, we have, I would consider four people on our military team. I- there is myself, and I handle a lot of our program management, governance, advocacy, obviously for our spouse community, raising awareness for our service members, making s- sure that they're aware of the programs out there.

But I really oversee anything that helps them get their certification at no cost to them, whether that's through a federally funded program, a state-funded program, or a community-funded program, like Onward to Opportunity or Act Now education. I also do advocacy for our spouses in that regard. but we then also have Matt Quick, who's, you know, very popular on the LinkedIns.

He does all of the sharing so I don't have to. it's a beautiful partnership we have, 'cause I'm terrible at LinkedIn. but he really is our boots on the ground. Like, he goes out to bases and really talks and connects with service members. He, you know, has 25 years, in the Army. He retired as a sergeant major, and he is just very passionate about that project profession.

And so he's out there on the ground spreading the word. often we'll do webinars and things of that nature. And then we have our policy, person, so we have a dedicated individual that's focused on how can we enhance project management, long term, and what policies can we work on developing with our federal partners, and how can we help our service members retain access to this long term?

And then we have somebody that handles more of our enterprise solutions, so if we have organizations that wanna fund these programs, if they wanna certify their workforce, and he's strictly focused on public sector engagement, so federal partners, state partners. but when it comes to, like, the specific military team and really operating th- those day to days, it's, you know, two and a half, 'cause we do have...

You know, I have a fantastic coworker who helps me do, like, more of the back-end operational aspects. But it's a tiny team. We're small but mighty.

Yeah. So the first one that I mentioned is, would be Chapter 31. So we are an approved VA partner, meaning our certifications for Chapter 30, 33, 35, and 1606 are all reimbursable. Th- and that's the exams only. We're currently working on getting our prep courses added, but that's a reimbursement program.

So I always say, "If you need it, it is there, but let's look at some other options." So for our veterans, there's, Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment Funding, and that will cover your training, study hall, and your exam fee. federally funded programs will not cover membership. I'm required to say that due to US code number five.

but thankfully that-

Yeah. I... Th- then I did a series of emails. I'm like, "By the way, I would love for you guys to be able to access this, but due to this, you know, ask- I can't do that." But, for our community-funded programs, there's also Onward to Opportunity, and they provide no-cost training to our veteran and spouse community, and transitioning service members.

And if you're an unemployed veteran and you're approved for their program, they will also cover that exam cost and membership cost for you, which is fantastic. So, like, that's my, you know, my number one plug. I love our partnership with Onward to Opportunity. they're a fantastic partner, and they offer wonderful training, and that's out of the University of Syracuse.

and so the, a grant, a wonderful grant-funded program with the Institute for Veteran and Military Families. There's also Act Now Education, which is another community-funded program headed up by, Jay Salter, who's Navy. And so he really has, you know, first-hand experience, and he offers a wonderful training program.

I believe it's under, like, their Cert to Success program. so that's, again, another no-cost resource for service members, and spouses and veterans. other opportunities, I mean, there's so many. There's obviously state-funded opportunities, if we can figure out the bureaucracy of a federal program managed by the state, implemented at the local level.

It's called WIOA. But that will also, cover the cost of training and certification for our service members.

Yeah, so, WIOA will cover for spouses. Onward for Opportunity will cover for spouses.

Chapter 33, if approved, will cover for spouses. And, the federally funded program for spouses is known as Spouse Works, and they actually just expanded their eligibility to spouses of active duty service members or those on Title 10- orders regardless of rank. It used to be rank-based, and so now any military spouse, as long as their sponsor is on Title 10 or active duty orders, they're eligible to use that.

So it's $2,000, per year with a $4,000 lifetime cap. very similar to the credentialing assistance for our active duty service members or, branch-specific, funding

Yeah.

I think they're like me, where I had heard of some of these things and I was like, "That can't be real, and it might be a scam."

That's what I thought SpouseWorks was, when it was formerly known as MyCAA back in the day. I was like, "You're not just gonna give me money." ... so I think it's, like, an understanding of which program to use when. I always say, if you're- ... active duty or currently serving, use your credentialing assistance first.

When you're transitioning and you have a good idea, use that onward opportunity, that Act Now Education. And then once you know, use all that, then go to the VA, partly because the VA can be a bit cumbersome, but we are approved. But, you know, really being able to maximize your benefits based on where you're at in your career.

Yeah, so it's still with all the PMI website, but it's pmi.org/military, and that's gonna have, information for currently serving, for military spouses, and for our veteran community.

Yeah, so this is something I reminisce on quite a bit and kick myself. you know, I always say I'd be a lot further along in my career if I would've known more earlier. So hindsight's always 20/20.

But I would say get engaged outside of your military community. And again, I love my military community, but having an awareness starts with expanding your network And don't be afraid to do some research. And if it doesn't sound exactly like what you want to do, that doesn't necessarily mean it's, you know, a bad thing or something not worth pursuing.

So often we're waiting for that exact perfect opportunity to present itself to us rather than just kind of growing into a role. And that's really, you know, looking back, I'm like, there were so many opportunities where I could have, you know, pursued certification earlier because I, you know, clearly I had the time.

I went and got a whole cosmetology degree. But having awareness about professional certifications at the jump is really, you know, a v- a very valuable piece of information I wish I would have had back then. Would have saved me, you know, tens of thousands of dollars. So it's incredibly, it's significantly cheaper than a cosmetology degree or any other college degree for that matter.

but it also is something that employers look for. And so really understanding about certifications, their value, and the programs that are, that exist to support our community in this way.

Yeah. Thank you both so much. Thank you, Michael. Thank you, Stuart. This has been wonderful.

Thank you.