SEMPO, the Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization, and Onward Search, a nationwide search engine marketing staffing company, has announced what they’re calling a “joint partnership” to promote programs that will increase the number of career opportunities in search engine marketing for job seekers seeking to enter the industry.

Through this joint partnership, SEMPO and Onward Search will “work together to develop initiatives to introduce search marketing as a career choice for new entrants to the industry as well as develop additional training and education opportunities for those professionals already in the workforce.”

After one year of full-time employment, Onward Search is going to give their employees $1200 in tuition reimbursement towards courses offered by the SEMPO Institute. Onward search will also provide full reimbursement for an SEMPO Individual membership. Also, SEMPO and Onward Search are partnering to develop “content modules, training programs, and other offerings around search marketing career development for new and experienced search marketers alike.”

Onward Search is the nation’s leading staffing provider of search marketing professionals and works with companies nationwide to supply the top talent within SEO, SEM, social media, and related specialties on a temporary, temp-to-perm, and permanent basis.

The SEMPO Institute is a non-profit, on-line career development organization, whose purpose is to educate and train professionals in the growing field of search engine marketing. Supported by SEMPO, SEMPO Institute’s courses are developed by experts in search marketing and then peer-reviewed for accuracy and best practices. Since its first course in January of 2007, SEMPO Institute has educated more than 1000 individuals in search marketing. SEMPO Institute’s courses are available to SEMPO members and the general public.