An Australian Government initiative is celebrating Australian businesses that employ veterans.
The Veterans’ Employment Awards recognise organisations that create employment opportunities for veterans and spouses of serving Defence members, as well as veterans who have made a significant contribution to their workplace.
Any Australian business, large or small, that is a leader in veterans’ employment can nominate for the awards.
The awards, which contain nine categories, are part of the Prime Minister’s Veterans Employment Program, that was launched in 2016 to help recognise the talents of our veterans and to encourage the private sector to take advantage of that expertise.
Each year, around 5,200 people will leave the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Government’s aim is to ensure personnel can transition to civilian life effectively and smoothly.
Earlier this year an Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) on Veterans’ Employment was formed to increase employment opportunities for veterans in the private sector. They have been instrumental in developing the Veterans’ Employment Awards.
IAC chair and Chief Executive Officer of Westpac’s Consumer Bank George Frazis has updated the Government on the committee’s progress developing strategies to improve the pathways for veterans from the Australian Defence Force into post-service employment.
Significant work has already been undertaken to improve veteran employment in the Australian Public Service (APS) with the development of a practical toolkit to support veterans to enter the APS that includes a guide aligning ADF ranks to APS classifications.
Since the Government added a “Defence Force Experience Desirable” flag on its jobactive website in September 2016 more than 1500 positions have been advertised as Defence desirable, connecting job seekers with employers.
Mr Frazis said: “As a former RAAF Officer, I am proud to share the progress of the Committee with the Prime Minister and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs.
“The Committee has made positive progress in achieving its aspiration to help veterans and their families gain meaningful employment during and after their service. It has established the foundation for its ongoing efforts to overcome barriers to employment for our veterans, those serving in the Reserves and their spouses.
“The Committee has found that businesses are very keen to employ veterans, and some already have specific programs in place to assist veterans. The challenge is ensuring that businesses interested in employing veterans are able to attract veterans and have programs in place that support veteran employees as they adjust to civilian workplaces.
“We encourage all organisations to recognise and take advantage of the talents and skills of our veterans, such as leadership, resilience, agility and the ability to operate in complex environments.”
Nominations for the Veterans’ Employment Awards are open until 22 December 2017 and can be submitted at www.veteransemployment.gov.au