Employment

Spouse Employment and Education:

Spouse employment and education experts at the Airman and Family Readiness Center can assist military spouses with finding meaningful employment and/or educational pursuits while they are stationed at Vance Air Force Base. The A&FRC offers assistance with goal-setting, networking, federal and civilian resumes, job searches and more.

Contact 580-213-6330 to schedule an appointment or to register for a class.

Off-Base Employment:

Enid is the retail trade and major medical center for northwestern Oklahoma. Wheat, cattle and oil exploration are major industries, but Vance Air Force Base is the largest single employer in the region.

Vance Air Force Base has an excellent relationship with the local community. Local employers know military spouses are educated, highly skilled and professional. 

On-Base Employment:

Spouses can apply for federal civil service positions, non-appropriated fund federal jobs and positions with government contractors.

Federal Civil Service Positions:

Spouses interested in applying to federal civil service positions (General Schedule or NAF) should meet with the Vance employment specialists for assistance with building profiles, writing federal resumes and comprehending occupational questionnaires.

Priority Placement Program:

Military spouses of active-duty service members are eligible for a federal hiring preference. Interested spouses must reside within the commuting area of their sponsor’s permanent duty station, furnish proof of marriage and active-duty status and meet all pre-employment eligibility criteria. Spouses can exercise their preference by obtaining the military spouse Priority Placement Program self-certification checklist from the A&FRC and submitting the checklist when applying for a federal job.

Contract Positions:

There are a wide variety of job opportunities with on-base contractors. The A&FRC can help you find open job announcements.

Military Spouse License Reimbursement:

The Air Force will reimburse military spouses up to $1,000 for occupational relicensing/recertification costs due to a permanent change of station/permanent change of assignment. Spouses of service members at their first duty station and spouses PCSing to or from overseas installations are not eligible for reimbursement. Please contact the A&FRC spouse employment/education specialists for assistance.

Spouse Education Resources:

Vance Scholarship Program

The Vance Scholarship Program provides textbook reimbursement to active-duty military stationed at Vance up to $100 per course, with a maximum of $300 per semester and a maximum of $600 per fiscal year. Receipts for textbooks must be submitted with the application. Active-duty military, spouses of active-duty military, adult children of active-duty military that are claimed as dependents, and Department of Defense civilians are eligible for a scholarship up to 50% of tuition for a maximum of two courses. Applicants must reside in Garfield County; classes may be taken on campus or online.

My Career Advancement Account scholarship program

The My Career Advancement Account scholarship is a workforce development program that provides eligible military spouses with financial assistance for licenses, certifications or associate degrees to pursue an occupation or career field. Visit MyCAA for more information.

Additional Resources:

Military Spouse Employment Partnership

The Military Spouse Employment Partnership connects military spouses with hundreds of partner employers committed to recruiting, hiring, promoting and retaining military spouses. MSEP holds frequent in-person and virtual hiring fairs. For more information about MSEP positions, visit the A&FRC.

Spouse Education and Career Opportunities

The Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program provides free education and career guidance online to military spouses. SECO enables military spouses to access expert career advice from career coaches, explore skills and interests, research careers and education, and connect to organizations committed to hiring military spouses.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Many employers recognize volunteer work as work experience. In fact, career coaching and counseling experts recommend including volunteer work in the employment section of your resume. Volunteer work is considered employment experience for obtaining a federal job. Please contact the A&FRC for assistance with volunteer opportunities.

For job-hunting purposes, be sure to hand carry all employment records and documents, resumes, SF 171, SF 50, transcripts, certificates and licenses.

If you are interested in federal employment, the Military Spouse Appointing Authority (Executive Order 13473) allows agencies to appoint a military spouse without competition if the spouse is on the military member's permanent change of station orders. You will want to have your marriage license in hand, along with PCS orders that include the spouse.

A Transition Assistance Program seminar is held at the beginning of every month and coincides with the first full five duty days of the week. The seminar is mandatory for active-duty members separating or retiring. Spouses are encouraged to attend.

If you are nearing two years before retirement, or one year before separation, you should contact the Airman and Family Readiness Center as soon as possible to schedule yourself to attend a TAP seminar. Call the A&FRC at 580-213-6330.

Review the information at the following page on the My Spouse Education and Career Opportunities website: Unemployment Benefits Information