Women veterans face unique challenges when joining the civilian workforce. To offer much-needed support to these women, the U.S. Department of Labor has Nancy Glowacki, the women veteran program manager of the Labor Department's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS), and a passionate advocate for women veterans.

The Public Manager recently spoke with Glowacki about some of these challenges women veterans face when they transition to the civilian workforce.

As an Army vet, Glowacki knows first-hand that it's not an easy transition, and that "transition" is not a one-time event. She finds that women veterans experience challenges that are common among nonveteran working women. For instance, women are still more likely than men to be concentrated in low-wage occupations, to earn the minimum wage, and to experience poverty.

However, Glowacki also notes that “transitioning service members and veterans may experience culture shock, difficulty translating their skills for the civilian work environment, unfamiliarity with the civilian job search process, and more.”

Fortunately, there are the Labor Department offers several free employment services. It has recently added the Employment Assistance for Women Veterans Webinar to its webpage. “In this 31-minute video, women veterans can learn about free self-paced classes available online, free individualized services in their local community where veterans receive priority of service, and more intensive case management for veterans who have greater challenges with employment,” says Glowacki.

Read the complete Spotlight interview.