Every year, more than 6,500 Australians leave active service to join civilian life. They can bring employers valuable skills like leadership, teamwork and the ability to work under pressure.
This initiative is being promoted through a nationwide advertising campaign to promote the enormous benefits veterans bring to the civilian workforce.
This campaign is aimed at supporting Australian veterans seeking good quality jobs by highlighting their skills and experience, as well encouraging businesses to take advantage of the diverse skill sets that veterans typically offer.
Many CALD communities recognise the crucial role played by current and ex-service people in our society, most recently in responding to natural disasters around the country. Several organisations and RSL clubs have strong historical ties to the defence forces that are maintained to this day.
In April 2024, the Australian Government launched the renewed Veteran Employment Commitment (VEC). Joining the VEC demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to employing Australia’s veterans and creating an environment where they can perform at their best. An organisation’s VEC level is now determined by the veteran employment activities they have in place and actively demonstrate. The VEC Levels are:
- Veteran Employment Supporter
- Veteran Friendly Employer
- Veteran Employer of Choice
The program also provides guidance and practical resources to help organisations implement and improve their VEC activities. To join the VEC or find out more including translated materials, visit https://www.veteransemployment.gov.au/show-your-commitment/veteran-employment-commitment
The Veteran Employment Program website has an array of translated information, including promotional material, videos and case studies featuring veterans who have successfully made the move to civilian life.
For ease of access and usage, a kit of translated resources has been developed which provides clear information and facts for:
Employers – the benefits that ex-service people can bring to their teams and organisations.
Veterans – apply the knowledge and experience gained during their Australian Defence Force (ADF) service to civilian employment.
The resources include:
Case studies:
- Ex-service people – Tom Nguyen and Bill Skandalakis – in English and translated in Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese
- Westpac case study – English only
Infographics:
Social media:
Source: Australian Government, Department of Veteran’s Affairs