The Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Program (VEP) was eager to refine its service offering to meet the intent of the DTA’s Digital Service Standard requirements. In particular, the team wanted to ensure they were designing services with users in mind, remembering the digital service needs to be integrated with the non-digital service elements.

The VEP evolved its services in recognition of the importance of assisting Australian veterans to transition into employment after their Australian Defence Force (ADF) service. It is a mission the Prime Minister felt strongly about, and he directed the Department to move quickly to help.

Pragma was engaged to undertake the baseline policy research and program services rationale work. The VEP team had not had the opportunity to complete this work due to the rapid evolution of the service and the day-to-day activities required to ensure its success to date.

Pragma uncovered and synthesised the program establishment documentation, including New Policy Proposals, Cabinet Submissions and governance documentation, to better understand the rationale behind the current service offerings. We then went on to analyse:

• Available data relating to veteran employment outcomes
• Barriers to veteran employment
• Current services available to veterans, from governments, ex-service organisations, charities and Australian businesses
• Findings from interviews we conducted with veterans and their families, and small, medium and large employers, to understand their experiences.

We pulled the insights, findings and recommendations into a Policy Background paper. This paper will inform future policy design to support veterans who have and are transitioning out of the ADF and into the civilian workforce. 

The report draws on qualitative and quantitative research to highlight the barriers that veterans face in finding and retaining meaningful employment during this transition. It explores the benefits of reducing unemployment in the Australian veteran population, both for veterans themselves and the broader economy. The report also provides insights to support current VEP services, and identifies refinement opportunities and market failures that new VEP policy initiatives could target.