Businesses urged to nominate for Vets’ awards

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017: Nominations are now open for the Veterans’ Employment Awards which will recognise businesses and organisations that created employment opportunities for veterans and spouses of serving Defence members. They will also recognise veterans who had made significant contributions to their workplace.The Veterans’ Employment Awards have been established as part of the Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Initiative, which aims to improve the post-service employability of veterans.In the Australian Defence Force (ADF) our personnel work in high-pressure environments and learn skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, leadership and the ability to adapt to new technologies.Those talents are in demand in a modern economy and I know businesses in the region are employing veterans and using their skills to succeed.I’m encouraging local businesses and local veterans to look at the award categories and nominate so their achievements can be recognised.The Veterans’ Employment Awards were developed by the Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) on Veterans’ Employment.IAC chair and Chief Executive Officer of Westpac’s Consumer Bank George Frazis stated:“The Committee has made positive progress in achieving its aspiration to help veterans and their families gain meaningful employment during and after their service.  It has established the foundation for its ongoing efforts to overcome barriers to employment for our veterans, those serving in the Reserves and their spouses.“The Committee has found that businesses are very keen to employ veterans, and some already have specific programs in place to assist veterans.  The challenge is ensuring that businesses interested in employing veterans are able to attract veterans and have programs in place that support veteran employees as they adjust to civilian workplaces."We encourage all organisations to recognise and take advantage of the talents and skills of our veterans, such as leadership, resilience, agility and the ability to operate in complex environments."Nominations for the Veterans’ Employment Awards are open until 22 December 2017 and can be submitted at http://www.veteransemployment.gov.au[box style="1 or 2"]The categories for the awards include:•             Leadership in Recruitment of Veterans•             Veteran Employee of the Year – Workplace Contribution•             Veterans’ Employer of the Year – Large Business•             Veteran’ Employer of the Year – Small to Medium-Sized Business•             Veterans’ Employer of the Year – Public Sector Organisation•             Excellence in Supporting Veterans’ Employment•             Outstanding Contribution by an Individual to Veterans’ Employment•             Excellence in Supporting Spouse Employment•             Outstanding Contribution by an Organisation to Veterans’ Employment[/box]