CHARLESTON, S.C. — On Oct. 18, 2023, Sonepar joined the Defense Department Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program and Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) for an induction ceremony and annual event in Alexandria, Virginia. During the event, Sonepar committed to the work of MSEP along with 70 new partners to MSEP — bringing the number of participating employers to more than 700.
In attendance was former military Kevin Whitehead, Vice President of Supply Chain & Logistics for Sonepar, and retired military, Chris Miles, Military and Veteran Relations Manager, and colleague Charlene Abbonizio-Campo, Director of Talent Acquisition for Sonepar.
“We were delighted to have Kevin sign the Statement of Support between the Department of Defense and Corporate Partners,” said Abbonizio-Campo. “Sonepar has formed more than 25 military partnerships to date and sent company representatives to over 140 veteran recruiting events in the last 15 months, resulting in a significant uptick in military hires.”
Military spouses have long struggled with maintaining employment due to PCS moves and other challenges associated with military life. Unemployment among military spouses stood at 21%, according to the 2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses. The same year, overall civilian unemployment was 5.3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
MSEP connects military spouses with hundreds of partner employers who commit to recruiting, hiring, promoting, and retaining military spouses. Since its inception in 2011, MSEP employers have hired more than 275,000 military spouses. Providing opportunities to spouses for meaningful employment strengthens financial stability among military families, which promotes force retention and military readiness which are essential to national security.
“Military spouses are adept at change and are skilled, diverse problem-solvers,” added Abbonzio-Campo. “We are grateful for the service and sacrifice of our military, and we’re proud to have our veteran associates and spouses as part of the Sonepar family.”
