City of San Antonio Invests in Military Spouses
Published on February 02, 2023
City Partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes Foundation
SAN ANTONIO (February 2, 2023) – Today, the San Antonio City Council approved a memorandum of agreement between the City and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes Foundation to continue its partnership of the Military Spouse Fellowship Program. This program helps military spouses find meaningful employment. Military spouse employment/unemployment rates are higher than the national average.
Through this partnership, the City will dedicate $150,000 to the program. This investment will fund approximately 30 fellowships for spouses of veterans, reservists and members of the National Guard. San Antonio’s program was formally established in 2019 and is the second in the nation and first in the state of Texas. The program pairs military spouses with local companies for twelve-week fellowships like paid internships, and there is no cost incurred by host organizations.
“The City is committed in its support of military families and fully supports any effort to tackle the challenge of military spouse unemployment. Military spouses typically have one or more multiple advanced degrees and bring valuable skills to the workforce such as adaptability, decision making, and leadership,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “This partnership connects exceptionally qualified military spouses with companies who are in dire need of the skills these spouses possess.”
The highly successful initiative has resulted in a 92% placement rate with an average annual salary of approximately $61,000. Due to the program’s success and the value of hiring military spouses, the local network of sponsors and host companies continues to expand with Department of Defense backing.
“This is yet another example of the City’s commitment to supporting the military community in San Antonio – Tangible community support is a heavily scored criteria when the Department of Defense and the military service branches make basing decisions,” said Maj Gen Juan G. Ayala, USMC (Ret.), Director of the City’s Military and Veteran Affairs Department. “More importantly, this program highlights the fact that our well-deserved title of ‘Military City USA™’ is not just a trademarked moniker.”
For more information on the Military Spouse Fellowship Program, please contact the City’s Military and Veteran Affairs Department at 210-207-2712 or the Hiring Our Heroes Foundation at 202-235-6256.