LVL-Up Strategies Joins Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) with U.S. Department of Defense

Arlington, VA – June 23, 2023 – LVL-Up Strategies is proud to announce its new partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense as a Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) member. 

The MSEP connects military spouses with hundreds of partner employers who commit to recruit, hire, promote, and retain military spouses. Since its inception in 2011, more than 250,000 military spouses hired by MSEP employers have been reported to date.

Rona Jobe founded LVL-Up Strategies in 2020 as an opportunity to make an immediate impact in two communities: the U.S. military/foreign service spouse community and the small business community. As a foreign service spouse herself, Jobe experienced career interruptions from frequent moves due to her husband’s career, which meant she had to re-establishing her career every time they moved to a new post. Upward mobility in a thriving career is often cited as the biggest pain point for foreign service or military spouses, and as Jobe knows, this community is talented and highly educated. At the same time, small business owners consistently approached Jobe about finding reliable help for growing and scaling their own businesses. There existed an opportunity to address both issues at the same time, so Jobe brought in fellow foreign spouse and small business owner Laura Jennings as co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer in 2020.

Now in its fourth year, LVL-Up Strategies provides opportunities for foreign service and military spouses to thrive professionally and use their extensive experience and varied perspectives to help small business owners thrive and grow.

“We know first-hand that military spouses are skilled and diverse problem solvers. They are often faced with the challenge of finding and maintaining steady and fulfilling employment because they move so frequently,” said Rona Jobe, Founder and CEO of LVL-Up Strategies. “Unlike other companies that hesitate to hire remote employees who move every few years, we are dedicated to helping this workforce apply its varied talents, cultural experiences, and resiliency to the many obstacles our small business clients face.”

Unfortunately, the military spouse unemployment rate has consistently been around 20% for more than a decade. LVL-Up’s participation brings the number of employers in the partner program to more than 660, and it is honored to give back to a community that has sacrificed so much for this country.

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About LVL-Up Strategies

Founded in 2020, LVL-Up Strategies is a minority, woman-owned small business based out of Arlington, Virginia. Specializing in helping small businesses grow to their potential, LVL-Up offers its clients strategic advisory, operations design and implementation, marketing plans and execution, and business development guidance. LVL-Up’s staff consists of military and foreign service spouses who are offered an opportunity to build sustainable careers while serving their country around the world. LVL-Up Strategies takes its staff and clients to their next levels by showing them the how, giving them the who, and supporting their why. https://www.lvlupstrategies.com/

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About Spouse Education and Career Opportunities

The U.S. Department of Defense established the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program to provide education and career assistance to military spouses worldwide, offering free comprehensive resources and tools designed to help spouses meet their career and education goals. Resources include free career coaching services, the My Career Advancement Account scholarship for eligible spouses, and the Military Spouse Transition Program, or MySTeP.

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About Military Spouse Employment Partnership

The Military Spouse Employment Partnership is a Department of Defense (DoD) led initiative that connects military spouses with hundreds of partner employers who have committed to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses.

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