Hire a military spouse to strengthen your team

August 25, 2025 – Defence Stories

Estimated read time – 1:30

The Department of National Defence (DND)’s Military Spouse Employment Initiative (MSEI) helps military spouses and common-law partners access employment opportunities within the federal public service, as well as connect them with valuable employment tools and resources.

Frequent relocations make stable employment challenging for military spouses, affecting families, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, and CAF operations. Supporting spousal employment helps strengthen military families and improve CAF retention.

The initiative supports DND’s defence policy, Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence, and emphasizes DND’s priority of supporting CAF members and their families.

How the MSEI Supports Your Hiring Needs

The MSEI is a strategic staffing option that connects hiring managers with a diverse pool of qualified military spouses and common-law partners across Canada.

The MSEI streamlines your hiring process by offering immediate access to skilled, motivated military spouses ready to contribute to DND’s mission. Through a centralized inventory, the MSEI enables you to quickly access pre-screened applicants for casual, term, or indeterminate positions, helping you fill vacancies efficiently and effectively. Additionally, to further support managers, MSEI candidates have completed their second language evaluations for reading and writing, reducing the administrative burden.

Candidates are available from a variety of diverse career streams, including:

• Office Administration
• Health and Social Services
• Information Technology Specialists
• Engineering and Engineering Technologists
• General Labour and Trades
• Communications and Public Relations

Supporting Military Families Through Workplace Flexibility

When considering MSEI candidates, additional telework flexibilities have been adopted. DND has endorsed an exception (Accessible only on the National Defence network) to the Treasury Board’s Direction on prescribed presence in the workplace, which permits DND employees who are spouses/partners of deployed CAF members to telework, when operationally feasible. This flexibility supports workforce retention and accommodates the unique demands of military family life.

For more information, please visit Military Spouse Employment Initiative or request referrals through the referral form.