How do we help you become Veteran Friendly?
Veteran Friendly Australia is developing a range of solutions to make it easy for any organisation to improve opportunities, and decrease risks, for current and former members of the Australian Defence Force.
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Our range of services is evolving, starting with Core solutions that are relevant for any organisation, regardless of size or industry, private sector or Government.
Our Advanced offerings are designed for environments that may present particular risk to Veterans, or conversely, offer the potential to contribute strategically to better outcomes. Examples include Hospitality venues, such as Pubs and Clubs, where Bar and Gambling operations may present unique challenges, but also, offer new ways to provide support.
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These are summarised below. As our offerings are constantly being developed, join our mailing list to remain informed of new solutions, or contact us if you have specific ideas you'd like to discuss.
Core Services
A practical way to create opportunities through ongoing awareness and action.
Our Core services are designed to help organisations contribute to better Veteran employment outcomes, engage with Veteran owned businesses, or maximise their CSR investments in Veteran initiatives.
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Delivered both online and in person, Core services include:
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Veteran Hiring Programs:
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Veterans in the Workplace Education:
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Workplace Assessments:
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Veteran Mentoring:
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Veteran Partnerships:
Find out how your organisation can benefit from the below services.
Veteran Hiring Programs:
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Simple strategies to assist any organisation attract, recruit, and retain talented Veterans. This might include connection to Veterans actively looking for work in your local area, introductions to specialist Veteran employment organisations, or awareness on those attributes common to Veterans that add benefit to any workplace culture.
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Veterans in the Workplace Education:
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Resources for HR and other hiring managers that assists in ensuring Veterans settle effectively into the workplace. This might include understanding particular physical, mental health or behavioural conditions - especially the positive attributes that can be harnessed for organisational benefit.
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We place particular focus on the unique challenges faced by Veterans recently transitioning out of the ADF and entering civilian employment for the first time.
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It's also important that other employees are aware of any unique impacts that come with having Veteran colleagues who may have unique service-related challenges, such as PTSD, etc.
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Workplace Assessments:
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Our Workplace Assessments can review your workplace to identify potential barriers that may make it difficult for Veterans to succeed in the workplace. This could include physical accessibility, job descriptions that don't take certain Veteran-centric challenges into consideration, or a lack of understanding about how best to leverage military skills and experience to organisational advantage.
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Veteran Mentoring:
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Aside from creating direct opportunities within your business, you can also play a valuable role in helping local Veterans succeed more generally.
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Contributing to programs that help coach and mentor transitioning ADF members into civilian employment, participating in workshops that provide guidance on resume writing and interview techniques, or offering internships for transitioning or long term unemployed Veterans can make a significant impact.
Veteran Partnerships:
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Veteran owned businesses span every sector of the economy, from tradies to specialist Defence-related industries and everything in between. By committing to being a Veteran Friendly business, your organisation can play a leading role in supporting Veterans in your local community outside of the above services.
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The easiest thing you could do is to help local Veteran owned businesses understand how they might become suppliers to your company. Alternatively, you might help promote their services in your marketing and socials.
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We help connect you to relevant Veteran owned businesses in your local area. Veteran owned businesses usually make extra effort to employ other Veterans, so by supporting them, you're creating opportunities for many others.
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Your business can help support local Veterans for as little as $49/month. Become a Veteran Friendly Business today.
Advanced Solutions
An add-on to Core Services, these tailored offerings are designed for environments that present risk, or can provide unique positive outcomes.
Some environments pose heightened risks to Veterans. However, they also have potential to provide benefits as a function of their normal operations.
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Pubs and Clubs are a great example. Military memorabilia in the foyer of an RSL Club or loud and sudden noises can be triggering to someone with PTSD. Access to bar and gaming facilities can also pose obvious risks.
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On the other hand, many Venues have membership and loyalty programs that could enable unique ways to connect directly to Veterans. Or bricks and mortar that offer social connection.
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Our Advanced Solutions include:
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Mental Health First Aid training for bar and gaming staff
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Veteran behavioural insights and awareness programs
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Ways to become 'safe places' for Veterans needing support
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Veteran-centric responsible beverage & gambling resources
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Health and wellness surveying through membership and customer bases
Mental Health First Aid Training:
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Hospitality venues host millions of Aussies through their doors each day, and unfortunately, many may be experiencing mental health challenges. Sometimes a patron may experience a crisis whilst on the premises.
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We've partnered with a Veteran-owned organisation that provides Mental Health First Aid Training for bar and gaming staff.
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Veteran Behavioural Insights & Awareness Programs:
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We augment Mental Health First Aid Training with education to improve awareness of other challenges that some Veterans may experience, as a direct result of their unique service.
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Helping to recognise how certain underlying conditions, such as PTSD, may be impacted by a venue's normal operations can help organisations reconsider ways they might manage such impacts. Equally, such awareness can help in avoiding mis-identifying RSA & RSG issues.
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This capability places Pubs and Clubs in the front line of providing support to not just Veterans, but anyone who may be in crisis whilst on the premises.
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Becoming a Veteran 'Safe Place':
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Some of the earliest versions of modern Clubs were actually started by returned servicemen after World War 1. As stated on the RSL & Services Clubs Association's website:
"RSL Clubs were created in communities across Australia to provide a venue for current and ex-service personnel and their families to enjoy a safe and comfortable place to gather, to enjoy each other's company, and to share a meal and a drink of two."​
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Sadly, negative media regarding opposition to poker machines risks creating impressions that licenced Clubs and Pubs, regardless of their brand, pose more of a threat than a benefit to vulnerable Veterans.
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Our vision is to leverage the positive opportunities that Hospitality venues offer through their unique operations. Every town in Australia has a bricks-and-mortar venue, whose doors are open extended hours. Our simple strategies to identify zero-harm areas within each venue will effectively make them 'safe places' for Veterans seeking connection.
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Veteran Health & Wellness Support:
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Hospitality venues have a significant opportunity to contribute directly to better social, health and wellness outcomes within the Veteran community.
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This could be as simple as providing printed materials in-venue linked to local support services, through to utilising membership and loyalty programs seeking input and feedback from Veterans regarding localised solutions they may require.
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Our programs make it easy for any venue to play a greater role in helping support Veterans, and contributing to assessment of local wellbeing.
Veteran Business Promotion:
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Hospitality venues are also great environments to support the products and services from local Veteran owned businesses.
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In addition to procurement opportunities for the venue itself, promoting local services to patrons is a simple yet invaluable way of creating opportunity.
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Veteran Friendly Australia provides access to local Veteran-owned businesses, making it easy to promote their products and services within the local community.
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