Staffcentrix to Provide Virtual Careers Training to Department of State

Staffcentrix, a provider of virtual careers training and related resources to the Armed Forces, announced that it has been contracted by the Department of State to provide training in virtual careers to Foreign Service spouses. The ìE-Entrepreneur Training Program,î now in its pilot phase, will teach spouses to launch and operate portable, home-based businesses as ìvirtual professionals,î delivering higher-end, business-related services to their own clients remotely via email, phone and fax.



Initially the three-day training will be facilitated by Staffcentrix, and later by Department of State personnel certified to deliver the program. The training, which is given at no cost to participants, is open to spouses of employees of the Foreign Affairs Agencies (Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, Foreign Commercial Service, Foreign Agriculture Service), and includes a special emphasis on marketing the virtual services business.

ìWe are delighted and honored to be providing this service to Foreign Service spouses,î said Christine Durst, Staffcentrix CEO. ìThe Foreign Service spouse makes many career sacrifices as he or she accompanies the Foreign Service Officer on what may often be an extensive series of posts abroad, sometimes to isolated and even dangerous locations. In the past, the exceptional professional credentials the spouse often possessed frequently went unused, sometimes for years at a time. Now, however, with the growth of the Internet and the longstanding outsourcing movement, offering oneís expertise virtually, in a portable career, can provide a rewarding and convenient alternative.î

ìWhether you speak in terms of homesourcing, farmsourcing, or distributed work,î says Staffcentrix COO Michael Haaren, himself a former Foreign Service dependent, ìthe virtual services trend is here to stay, and Foreign Service spouses bring some truly impressive credentials to the mix. Their knowledge of international markets alone -- and here Iím speaking of the ability to compare diverse international markets, in depth, from on-the-ground experience -- would be a godsend to many smaller businesses seeking to expand, and for a Fortune 500 marketing initiative they can offer sophisticated, real-world guidance. Suddenly a talent pool is coming online that most savvy executives have only dreamt of. Our advice is, ëAct now while supplies last!íî

The new program will include a Web-based community with a directory and automated search tools for companies seeking to hire spouses who fit their criteria. Pending the launch of the site, interested companies may contact Staffcentrix directly for further information.