Business and Professional Women's Foundation and Cengage Learning Partner to Assist Women Veterans and Military Spouses in Their Career Search

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cengage Learning, a leading global provider of print and digital teaching, learning and research solutions, has joined Business and Professional Women's (BPW) Foundation as a partner in Joining Forces for Women Veteran's and Military Spouses (JFWVMS) Mentoring Plus. 

"Making a very generous in kind commitment through the free use of their award winning on-line, interactive Career Transitions resource, Cengage Learning has demonstrated its commitment to support women veterans as they make the transition from military to civilian careers and military spouses as they deal with establishing successful careers under both difficult and unusual situations," said BPW Foundation CEO, Deborah L. Frett. 

"Though our partnership, women veterans and military spouses will be able to use, at no cost, this advanced career service tool to help them in their search for meaningful civilian careers. The new and highly interactive Career Transitions provides immediate access to the most important job-seeking and career learning activities," Frett continued.

"The Career Transitions experience is about accessibility and guidance: helping people get started—and follow through—on meaningful activities to improve their chances of finding sustainable employment. BPW Foundation's long and strong history of women helping women will allow us to reach an important but often overlooked population, women veterans and military wives, providing them access to this powerful tool – and ultimately to new careers," said Dave Garza, Vice President, Careers and Computing, Cengage Learning.

In addition to delivering measurable details on user accomplishments and successes, Career Transitions will offer women veterans and military wives:

• Interactive interview practice
• Matching of work and military experience to new careers
• Multiple job-search options, including internships and entry-level, with job tracking; Job openings can be filtered by occupational interest and geographic location.
• Comprehensive education and training options by career, program and location
• Guided resume and cover letter creation
• Continually updated expert advice and industry-leading content
• Hundreds of career overview videos, including "A Day in the Life" interviews featuring real people who work in those occupations
• A new, streamlined interface designed to give users immediate access to activities

Chair of the JFWVMS Mentoring Advisory Council Dr. Lynda Davis said, "JFWV Mentoring Plus, an initiative of BPW Foundation, will enable women mentors to tap their own experiences in the workplace to help women veterans of all eras successfully enter and advance in the civilian workforce, positioning their military expertise and skills for long-term career stability and success. Mentors will act as coaches, guides, and navigators, sharing insights and skills needed to secure meaningful employment and career advancement. The program will also help make connections for military wives who often cannot find jobs that match their skills and education because of the hardships of military life including many moves and living in areas dominated by a military base."

BPW Foundation identified mentoring as a key need of transitioning women veterans during its Inaugural Joining Forces for Women Veterans National Summit held in October, 2010. The Office of the First Lady also recognized this "mentorship gap" in their selection of BPW as point organization for a large-scale mentoring initiative to benefit women veterans and military spouses. 

BPW Foundation supports workforce development programs and workplace policies that recognize the diverse needs of working women, their families, communities and businesses. BPW Foundation is a 501 © (3) research and education organization. To learn more, visit http:www.bpwfoundation.org. To join the mentoring program as either a mentor, subject matter expert or mentee sign up on the JFWMS Mentoring Plus webpage.

Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide. The company's products and services are designed to foster academic excellence and professional development, increase student engagement, improve learning outcomes and deliver authoritative information to people whenever and wherever they need it. Through the company's unique position within both the library and academic markets, Cengage Learning is providing integrated learning solutions that bridge from the library to the classroom.  Cengage Learning's brands include Brooks/Cole, Course Technology, Delmar, Gale, Heinle, South-Western and Wadsworth, among others. Cengage Learning is headquartered in Stamford, CT.  For more information on Cengage Learning please visit www.cengage.com.

SOURCE Cengage Learning