By Rebecca Alwine

In a proactive approach to current military spouse unemployment rates, as well as the huge wave of more than one million veterans who filed for jobless benefits last month, Hiring our Heroes (HoH) and Salesforce have joined together to support military spouse employment with a new fellowship program.

HoH has several fellowship programs, including a corporate program for active-duty service members that boasts a 91% placement rate, said Eric Eversole, president of Hiring Our Heroes and a vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Salesforce fellowship program is open to veterans and spouses residing in the United States.

Salesforce, a customer relationship management platform, offers free online training through its Trailhead platform. This allows active-duty military, veterans and military spouses to complete courses and certification exams at no cost.

The Salesforce Fellowship Program connects applicants who have completed Salesforce training with companies with a need for certified professionals. This offers 12 weeks of job training to the fellows as it provides the host companies the benefit of those skilled, certified professionals during that time and the opportunity to hire them at a later date.

"This fellowship will put money directly into the pockets of military families at a time many are experiencing uncertainty," Ann Weeby, head of Salesforce Military, said in a release. "Our customers and partners benefit from incredible talent, and our military Trailblazers get valuable work experience -- truly a win-win."

Military spouses and veterans who are interested in becoming fellows should apply online, paying special attention to the deadlines and cohort dates. The first cohort is scheduled to begin in August, and the last will end in December.

"Applicants should have a Salesforce certification before applying -- or [be] within 30 days of completion," Eversole said.

When the cohort begins, fellows will work four days per week for 12 weeks and participate in regular team huddles with Hiring Our Heroes program managers, experienced Salesforce mentors and other fellows in the program, he added.

"A typical day for fellows will be spent with their host supervisors or mentors, gaining hands-on experience by virtually participating in or managing a project within the Salesforce," Eversole said. "The long-term goals of the program are to provide veterans and military spouses with short-term employment opportunities and long-term pathways to employment with skillbuilding, networking, and on-the-job training."

The end goal is to give fellows the training and network to find permanent employment following the cohort.

"A Salesforce IT certification will provide veterans and military spouses with immediate employment opportunities, as well as a marketable skill for upward mobility," Eversole said.