Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

EOGH (—) (): I'd like to thank the member for Solomon for his question, his continued advocacy for the veterans in his community and, of course, his service to our nation as part of our Australian Defence Force.

Last Thursday night the member for Solomon joined me, along with the Assistant Minister for Defence and for veterans' affairs and, importantly, the Prime Minister, to celebrate the Prime Minister's National Veterans' Employment Awards here in Canberra. These awards are particularly special because they not only recognise the awesome work that veteran employees and businesses are doing around the country; they also recognise for the first time the contributions that veterans' families, specifically veterans' partners, make to the civilian workforce.

I'd like to congratulate the Veteran Employee of the Year, Nick Elston, of GSA Management Consulting; the Veteran Entrepreneur of the Year, Garth Chester, of Valenhold; the Partner Employee of the Year, Katie Vidal, of She Maps; the Partner Entrepreneur of the Year, Kelly Willmott, of Green Fox Training Studio; the Employer of the Year Large, Cubic Defence Australia; the Employer of the Year Small, Viden consulting group; the winner of the Excellence in Supporting Veteran and/or Partner Employment award, Vertical Scope Group; the winner of the Outstanding Contribution to Veteran and/or Partner Employment, Amanda McCue, of Career Swag; and, finally, the winner of the Employer of the Year Medium and Outstanding Employer of the Year, Bluerydge.

The awards highlight the importance that this government places upon giving veterans the support they need in order to successfully transition out of military and into civilian life, and it highlights to all employers the benefits of employing a veteran. Veterans bring to the civilian workspace many of the skills that they've learnt in the time in the ADF: leadership, teamwork, loyalty, agility, discipline and the ability to work under pressure. Veterans' families bring not only their professionalism, planning and management skills to the workforce but they also bring their ability to work autonomously and in highly variable environments. They are all critical skills in the modern economy, all in demand by employers today.

The Albanese government knows just how important a good transition is for a veteran to ensure good outcomes following their military service. A big part of that is getting into meaningful work. That's why, at the election, we committed to a $24 million veterans employment program looking to improve veteran and defence family employment prospects, improving education and backing veteran owned businesses.

I want to acknowledge some of our excellent veteran-led Australian defence industries that join us in the gallery today: the Whiskey Project, J3Seven, 3ME Technology, Nova System, Omni Executive and Ex Tech. Veterans make an amazing contribution to defence industry. They know what defence personnel need in the field. Your skills mean you continue to contribute to our sovereign capability. It's all part of how the Albanese government is delivering a better future for veterans and families.

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