Oak Grove, Ky (February 12, 2020) – Military spouses and veterans in the Fort Campbell area have the opportunity to take part in a new job training and placement assistance program that allows them the flexibility to work anywhere.
Digital Works, a program of Connected Nation (CN), just wrapped the first week of classes at its newest facility located across from Fort Campbell and is looking to fill more openings for March and beyond. The program offers technology training and job placement assistance for online teleworking jobs.
“What makes this uniquely suited for military spouses in particular is that the positions can move with them—meaning they no longer have to find new jobs every time their spouse is relocated,” said Tom Ferree, Chairman & CEO, CN. “Military spouses are facing significantly higher unemployment rates than other populations. These are the women and men who keep the home fires burning when our service members are called to duty. We must do more to support them.”
According to the Spouses Employment and Education 2017 Survey of Active Duty Spouses, military spouses face a 24 percent unemployment rate and a 25 percent wage gap compared to their civilian counterparts. The survey also revealed that 77 percent of these spouses want or need work, but frequent relocation is often a barrier to finding and maintaining a rewarding career. In addition, unemployed spouses had been looking for work an average of 17 weeks (about four months).
“The U.S. economy is experiencing a healthy job market, with 255,000 jobs added in January, and there’s no reason the nation’s military spouses and veterans should not be benefitting from that,” Ferree said.
Providing training and job placement assistance for telework and remote jobs is an effective way to help. The work-at-home population has grown an incredible 159 percent since 2005. That’s more than 11 times faster than the rest of the workforce, according to GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com.
“Digital Works was developed by Connected Nation when we saw a growing need for employees who were trained in digital skills to fill work-at-home and remote positions,” said Chris Pedersen, VP of Planning and Development, CN. “We work directly with more than 70 companies to learn what exactly they’re looking for in new employees and then we tailor our training and mentoring to those needs. It means we have a high placement rate—conservatively around 80 percent. What’s incredible is that we saw a 100 percent placement rate in a pilot program we did in the Fort Knox area that was focused on military spouses and veterans. It proves that these types of position are perfect for the discipline and work ethic of military families and those from military backgrounds.”
Thanks to a contract with the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet and additional funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs and AT&T, the new Digital Works classes being offered in the Fort Campbell area at no charge to participants. The first class began on Monday, Feb. 3, and will run for about four weeks.
CN is currently looking to fill additional classes for March and beyond. The facility is located right across from the front entrance of the post. To learn more or register for a class, head to www.digitalworksjobs.org and click on “Fort Campbell.”
If you have additional questions about Digital Works, visit the website or email us at info@connectednation.org.
Contacts: Jessica Denson
Communications Director
(502) 341-2024
# # #
Digital Works, a program of Connected Nation, connects people to leading-edge customer support and IT jobs for global corporations by providing training, mentorship, and job placement assistance, as well as the opportunity for advanced careers.
Connected Nation’s mission is to improve lives by providing innovative solutions that expand the access, adoption, and use of broadband (high-speed internet) and its related technologies to all people. We believe that everyone belongs in a Connected Nation. For more information, please visit: www.connectednation.org or follow Connected Nation on Facebook and Twitter.
