Advancing the careers of military spouses : an assessment of education and employment goals and barriers facing military spouses eligible for MyCAA / / Esther M. Friedman [et al.]

• Author: Rand Corporation
• VerfasserIn: Friedman, Esther M., 1976-; Evans, Sarah E.; Miller, Laura L., 1967-
• TeilnehmendeR: Evans, Sarah E.; Miller, Laura L., 1967-; Rand Corporation; United States. Department of Defense; National Defense Research Institute (U.S.); United States. Department of Defense.
• Place / Publishing House: Santa Monica, Ca : : Rand Corporation, 2015
• Year of Publication: 2015
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (xxi, 68 pages) :; illustrations, charts
• Notes: Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph; "Prepared for the Office of the Secretary of Defense."

Since the move to an all-volunteer force, the U.S. military has increasingly provided an array of programs, services, and facilities to support military families, including programs to assist spouses in pursuing their educational and employment goals. These programs are particularly important, given that military spouses face challenges related to military life that can make it difficult for them to maintain and develop careers. One program designed to help spouses of junior military personnel meet their educational and employment objectives is the My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) scholarship. This report analyzes data collected from November 2012 to March 2013 on the 2012 Active Duty Spouse Survey to examine MyCAA scholarship use in the previous year and educational and employment goals and barriers faced by recent MyCAA users and nonusers. The survey showed that nearly one in five eligible spouses used MyCAA in the previous year, and more than half of nonusers were unaware of the scholarship. Key reasons for not using the scholarship among those who were aware of it include perceived program ineligibility and lack of time for education. Reported barriers to achieving educational and employment goals were remarkably similar for recent MyCAA users and nonusers. Cost was the key reason spouses reported for not pursuing higher education. Barriers to both education and employment among interested spouses included competing family responsibilities and difficulties with child care. The authors conclude with recommendations for improving and complementing the existing MyCAA scholarship to help military spouses achieve their educational and career objectives.

Table of Contents

Analytic methods -- Use of MyCAA -- Higher education preferences, experiences, and barriers -- Employment preferences, experiences, and barriers -- Conclusions and recommendations -- Appendixes : A. Demographic, family, and military characteristics of spouses included in this study -- B. Comparison of MyCAA nonusers who were aware of the scholarships to unaware nonusers -- C. Results of logistics regression models comparing MyCAA users to nonusers on demographics, family, and military characteristics.