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Not-for-profit organisation Families of Veterans Guild has opened applications for a Rise Together Initiative in a bid to counter the significant career barriers experienced by hundreds of thousands of Australian veteran spouses.
Veteran spouses represent a highly skilled and often underutilised talent pool however their careers are frequently disrupted by the demands of their partner’s military life, leading to 'patchy' resumes, unemployment, and underemployment, according to the organisation.
Indeed, three in four (76 percent) veteran partners report making employment sacrifices because of challenges unique to this group.
This is resulting in a national crisis amidst an already stark skills shortage: the Australian Defence Force partner unemployment rate is twice the national average, with 92 percent of these affected veteran partners being women.
As part of its overall mission to support the unmet needs of veteran families, and to counter this issue, the Guild has created The Rise Together Initiative exclusively for defence and veteran partners.
This initiative is being predominantly funded by a grant formally announced by the Minister for Women, Katy Gallagher, at Parliament House.
The initiative has been designed to build career confidence for defence and veteran spouses.
In 2025 it will improve leadership skills, and career confidence for 12 defence and veteran partners nationwide. Its focus is to empower participants to recognise their value beyond being a veteran spouse, equipping them to excel in the workforce and into positions of leadership.
“Veteran spouses face unique career challenges due the nature of a life tied to defence. They have sacrificed much for their partner’s career and Australia but often go unrecognised and unsupported,” according to Renee Wilson, CEO of the Families of Veterans Guild.
“The Rise Together Initiative is designed to empower these individuals, providing them with the skills and confidence to pursue leadership roles and make meaningful contributions to a workforce in dire need of diverse skills, perspectives, resilience and determination.
“As a veteran partner who has been through the program, I highly encourage members of the community to apply via the Family of Veterans Guild website—it is truly transformative.”
