In 2007, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) began a joint initiative to support the spouses of military personnel in their pursuit of portable postsecondary degrees or industry-recognized credentials. Through the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (CAA) Demonstration, eligible spouses could obtain an account to pay for career-related education and training. Demonstration goals were to (1) help military spouses with careers and (2) encourage the retention of service members by increasing families’ satisfaction with military life. Eight states received demonstration grants, which were used in substate areas where participating military bases and One-Stop Career Centers were located. DOL and DoD established demonstration guidelines about the local partnerships to be formed; which military spouses were eligible for CAAs; the types of training, education, and credentials that could be funded; the funding amount available to each spouse; and the extent of guidance that demonstration staff could give to spouses.)

This report presents findings from the implementation evaluation of the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account Demonstration. Part I: Early Implementation of the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Demonstration provides an overview of the demonstration and key findings about the demonstration's partnerships, early implementation experiences, marketing efforts, and other topics. Part II: Additional Findings from the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Demonstration Study supplements the earlier report by providing additional information on implementation issues and quantitative information about the characteristics of participants, as well as their plans for using the CAAs for participation in education and training programs and the attainment of credentials, licenses, or certifications to support careers in high-wage, high-growth occupations.)