OweYaa fulfills this mission by bridging the military-civilian cultural gap, which creates barriers to employment retention and professional promotion, through internships. Through our partnerships, we’ve transformed the internship experience in a way that suits those who need the ability to intern remotely.
Barika sees the Veteran and military spouse unemployment problem as one
rooted in the business community and business practices; the business community owes it to our service members to ensure that they transition to meaningful, 21st-century careers.
We know that Veterans and spouses have dedicated years of their lives to service and bring tremendous value to the workforce in terms of qualifications and
commitment. When given the choice to do anything with their lives, service members and their spouses committed themselves to service instead of working in a high income profession.
Q: What unanswered employment need does OweYaa seek to address in the military community?
A, Barika Edwards (BE): As a team, we noticed several gaps in civilian-military employment, such as access to civilian employers, filling skills gaps, and career fit.
We focus on addressing each of these issues, while building relationships that improve retention within the rapidly growing tech sector.
We also found that deployments and PCSs can be a challenge for military spouses who want to further their careers. Given their circumstances, many spouses feel that their only option is to volunteer. While volunteering is worthy and important, it doesn’t always benefit spouses in terms of their professional growth.
(Photo by Mike Ngo for Microsoft's WOCinTech Chat Stock Images) Used in accordance with CC Attribution 2.0 Generic.
"To our military and their families from the business community: We Owe – Yaa."