MINNETONKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UnitedHealth Group is bolstering its commitment to the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) with new initiatives aimed at hiring qualified military spouses for positions throughout the company.
“Americans who serve in the military bravely make sacrifices that benefit everyone, and UnitedHealth Group wants to honor their service and provide their spouses with access to meaningful employment through this innovative partnership with MSEP,” said Chris Coleman, UnitedHealth Group senior vice president, employee relations. “We are grateful for the opportunity to support the Military Spouse Employment Partnership to help as many military families as possible gain employment.”
Coleman met recently with MSEP members and their families in Washington, D.C., at a formal signing ceremony where he pledged UnitedHealth Group’s commitment through various efforts – both under way and forthcoming – to connect military spouses with available job openings. These include:
- participating in job fairs and recruiting events hosted or facilitated by military communities, including Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard and Coast Guard service;
- establishing an internal mentoring program to support spouse employees for career success and facilitate family support groups during times of deployment;
- helping to promote UnitedHealth Group jobs for military spouses via the MSEP partnership and communication channels;
- developing portable and transferrable employment options that capitalize on UnitedHealth Group’s telecommuting capabilities, which will benefit military families whose lives are often disrupted during relocation and resettling of households;
- strengthening relationships with military family support center staff, which are often located on military installations around the world, where UnitedHealth Group has a presence within close proximity of an installation or base;
- postings of UnitedHealth Group job openings and opportunities on the MSEP Web portal at www.msepjobs.com.
“MSEP’s partner companies like UnitedHealth Group display a sincere commitment to our nation’s military families by hiring and retaining military spouses in rewarding and portable careers. They recognize the depth of knowledge and the diversity of experience that spouses hold is an absolute asset to their organization,” said MSEP Program Manager Dr. Lillie Cannon.
MSEP has connected more than 5,000 spouses to job openings with MSEP partner companies since its launch as a joint program in June. In the previous seven years, the program – operating then as the Army Spouse Employment Partnership – connected nearly 115,000 spouses with jobs.
According to MSEP, military spouses endure many challenges that can hinder them from securing stable, rewarding employment. These challenges range from frequent relocations, as families move with their active duty member, to managing day-to-day family needs for months at a time while their loved ones are deployed overseas.
The U.S. Army implemented the Army Spouse Enrollment Program (ASEP) in 2003. At that time, 42 Fortune 500 companies signed a Statement of Support. Earlier this year, President Obama laid out a challenge to corporate America in “Strengthening Our Military Families: Meeting America’s Commitments” to hire military spouses. In January, the Department of Defense expanded the program’s scope to include all Department of Defense Military spouses and changed the name to Military Spouse Employment Program.
UnitedHealth Group’s partnership with MSEP is in addition to several other relationships and efforts geared toward sourcing and recruiting top military and veteran candidates. These include support of job services agencies, vocational rehabilitation services and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a
diversified health and well-being company dedicated to helping people
live healthier lives and making health care work better. With
headquarters in Minnetonka, Minn., UnitedHealth Group offers a broad
spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms:
UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits
services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled
health services. Through its businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves more
than 75 million people worldwide. Visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com
for more information.