Leaders in veteran employment go above and beyond to support both their own veteran employees and veterans in the community. Employers have an opportunity to demonstrate this leadership and make a real difference for veterans in Australia.  

When you join the Veteran Employment Commitment (VEC), you will join a growing network of employers across Australia who are committed to improving outcomes for the veteran community. You can also contribute to advancing best practices that enhance the employment experience for both veterans and employers. 

Becoming a leader in veteran employment comes with many benefits for both your organisation and the veteran community. Leaders in veteran employment can: 

  • build their reputation as a veteran-friendly employer 

  • network and collaborate with other organisations leading in veteran employment 

  • shape the narrative around veteran talent 

  • contribute to meaningful outcomes for the veteran community.  

This page provides some suggestions for employers to demonstrate leadership in veteran employment. 

When developing your veteran employment activities, it is important to refer to reputable sources. These include resources developed by government, industry and academia. This will help you to design evidence-based activities that are more likely to succeed. Drawing on the work of others can help you to align with best practice in veteran employment.

Equally, confirm that your veteran employment activities are in line with the relevant legislative requirements. This factsheet provides some of the relevant guidelines and legislation for your reference. 

Demonstrate your commitment to veteran employment

Below are some ways you can publicly demonstrate your commitment to supporting veteran employment. 

Join the Veteran Employment Commitment

The first step in becoming a leader in veteran employment is to show your commitment. To do this, you can join the VEC. 

VEC members will be awarded one of three levels of recognition:

  • Veteran Employment Supporter
  • Veteran Friendly Employer
  • Veteran Employer of Choice.

You can show that your organisation is a VEC member by displaying the VEC logo on your website, social media platforms, external communications and recruitment advertisements. Your organisation will also be listed on www.veteransemployment.gov.au.

Promote veteran employee success stories

Showcase how veteran employees thrive at your workplace by sharing their success stories. These stories highlight the real-world value and impact that veterans bring to the workplace. By sharing these experiences, you can demonstrate your commitment to veteran employment and help potential veteran recruits to envision themselves succeeding in your workplace.
 

Practical guide

How to develop and share veteran employment success stories [PDF 117.21 KB]

Support the veteran community

Being a leader in veteran employment can demonstrate a commitment to the broader veteran community. This commitment extends beyond employing veterans within your organisation. This can show that you value the development of veteran talent on a wider scale. Support for veterans outside your organisation can enhance your organisation’s reputation as a veteran-friendly workplace and build stronger connections with the veteran community. 

Some ways you can invest in the veteran community are outlined below. For each of these points, building partnerships in veteran employment plays an important role. See Forming partnerships in veteran employment for more information.  

Provide career mentoring to veterans

Offer career mentoring to veterans in the broader community. Career mentoring can support veterans to:

  • consider and pursue their next career step or career change
  • navigate career change
  • develop skills and achieve professional goals. 

To establish a career mentoring program, you can follow similar steps to those outlined in our guide to developing a mentoring program [PDF 136.91 KB].

Fund scholarships for veterans

Scholarship funds can support veterans to engage in further education, training and development. You may wish to align your scholarship assistance with the interests or values of your organisation. For example, you may fund scholarships for veterans obtaining industry-related degrees. Equally, you might support a fund that aligns with your organisational values and targets a specific veteran group, such as First Nations veterans or veterans living with a disability. 

Contribute to an existing scholarship fund or develop your own

There are several veteran scholarship funds in operation across Australia. To contribute to one of these, you can:

  • source existing scholarship funds that align with your interests or values
  • build a partnership with the organisation(s) managing the fund
  • set out your intended funding contributions and expected outcomes.

You may consider developing your own scholarship fund for veterans. This can have additional benefits for your organisation, including building your reputation and attracting veteran job applicants. To develop your own scholarship fund, you can:

  • partner with veteran-friendly organisations to identify the scholarship needs of the veteran community
  • seek advice from organisations experienced in managing scholarship funds
  • define the objectives of your scholarship
  • establish eligibility criteria and an application process
  • promote your scholarship fund through your community partnerships and external communications.

Whether you contribute to an existing fund or set up your own, stay in touch with your partners and scholarship recipients to trace, evaluate and share the impact of your contributions. 

Sponsor veteran events in the community 

Sponsoring veteran events can provide veterans with opportunities for community recognition and social connection. It can also strengthen your community relationships. To sponsor a veteran event in the community, you can:

  • provide financial or resource assistance
  • provide promotional assistance via marketing and advertising
  • offer hands-on delivery assistance
  • engage in events and activities as participants or attendees.

Related Veteran Employment Commitment (VEC) activities:

  • Publicly support veteran employment 
  • Promote veteran employment success stories at your organisation
  • Consult guidelines and legislation when developing veteran policies and practices
  • Provide career mentoring to veterans in the community (aspirational)
  • Sponsor veteran events (aspirational)
  • Educate the community on the benefits of veteran employment (aspirational)
  • Fund education and training scholarships for veterans in the community (aspirational).
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