Military Spouse Career Accelerator Program Becomes Permanent
The Department of Defense says its Military Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot will become a permanent program in 2026 to combat high unemployment among military spouses. The program offers qualifying military spouses 12-week, paid fellowships inside partner companies.
It transitions from a pilot program to the permanent Career Accelerator in January 2026.
The Career Accelerator program gives spouses current work experience and professional contacts that can be used to get new employment after a PCS move to a new location. Spouses must apply for this benefit and work with an approved career coach.
Early Successes
The program’s success in placing spouses in jobs prompted the federal government to convert it into a permanent offering.
It operates as a partnership between the Defense Department’s Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) office and the Chamber of Commerce Foundation Hiring Our Heroes program. Together, they match spouses with companies for full-time, professional roles.
The work a military spouse does under this program can be considered a type of extended interview, allowing the employer to evaluate a spouse’s performance on actual work before offering a permanent job.
By using this program, you can add a current position to a resume and show a direct link to a local professional network. In the pilot program, host companies made employment offers to a high number participants.
The Pilot Program Becomes Permanent
Under the pilot program, the window for new applications closed on September 1, 2025. New applications aren’t accepted for the pilot, only the permanent program going forward.
Those who want to apply for the permanent version should begin preparing to apply when the next opportunity is available in January 2026.
Did you apply prior to the September 2025 deadline? If you are an “active applicant,” your application is automatically transferred to the Career Accelerator, “with no new application required. To move forward, schedule and complete a coaching session with a SECO career coach at your earliest convenience.”
Start preparing now by connecting with a MySECO career coach and taking the initial steps.
What’s Changing in 2026
In 2026, the permanent Career Accelerator offers “12-week paid fellowships with leading organizations across the country, giving military spouses hands-on experience, professional mentorship, and tailored career support designed to lead to long-term employment,” according to MilitaryOneSource.mil.
- Fellows will receive a 50% boost in the stipend “compared to the pilot.”
- Hands-on time includes 12 weeks, full-time.
- Spouses living abroad or PCSing overseas may apply for job opportunities (these vary by location and employer participation).
- Every participant is given an individualized program and career plan.
- Eligibility includes spouses of active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve members.
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
