Get involved with DVA’s Support for Employment program
Launched on 29 March 2021, the Support for Employment Program will soon celebrate its first birthday. The program provides eligible veterans with up to 10 hours of one-on-one support across a range of pre-employment and post-employment services.
The Program has got off to a great start, supporting veterans to build their job-seeking skills and helping them adjust to employment in the civilian workforce.
The program is part of the Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Program, and is available to eligible veterans who have transitioned from the permanent Australian Defence Force (ADF) between 12 months and five years previously. This complements the ADF’s Defence Force Transition Program support available prior to and after transition.
Participating veterans are able to take full advantage of many opportunities available in the civilian workforce through advice, training and support offered by a range of professional employment support providers.
Veterans can access services including interview skills, personal branding and marketing, mapping transferrable skills and experience to civilian roles, developing career goals, and assistance adjusting to and understanding the civilian workplace, which – as any veteran knows – can be very different to that of the ADF. The one-on-one, targeted support means outcomes are personalised and directly relevant to the veteran and their needs, offering the best chance of success in the civilian workplace.
One of the many services the program offers is resumé writing, a task that can stump even the savviest of job-hunters. Jade Crisp, a consultant at Rehab Management says, ‘I have found the Support for Employment Program really beneficial for my client. We have only completed four sessions and he has had multiple interviews and received a job offer since being referred to me. Prior to starting the program, he had applied for numerous roles with only a couple of interviews, and neither resulted in a job.’
This feedback has also been reflected by a client who a provider advises is now studying and working in a new career: ‘Sally [the provider] was exceptionally helpful, helping me find a pathway to study something that lines up with my interests and natural skill set … Her communication was fantastic and I would highly recommend this to any veteran seeking help with finding a career path post-military.’
A representative from Workcom, another provider of the program, says, ‘This is a great program to assist with the transition from Defence to civilian employment. I love that it is targeted to the veteran’s employment needs, it’s user-friendly and can be administered in a timely manner.’
Whether you’re actively job seeking, or just want to brush up your resumé or discuss career options, don’t miss this opportunity – accessing this service is easy.
Log into your MyService account via myGov. If you are eligible, a Support For Employment tile will automatically appear on the home page of your account. Click on this tile to start enrolment in the program. If a tile does not appear, and you believe you are eligible, email SFE [at] dva.gov.au (SFE[at]dva[dot]gov[dot]au).
