RSLQ 2021 Annual Report

Building Brighter Futures / 47 RSL Queensland Annual Report | 2021 Employment RSL EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM The RSL Employment Program supports ex- Defence members in their search for civilian employment. Our highly trained team behind the free, tailored program work with veterans and their partners to determine how they can best support their search for employment. In 2021, the RSL Employment Program successfully rolled out and delivered employment services across all states and territories. With a strong focus on employers, relationships were established or strengthened with Suncorp, Australia Post, One Harvest, Queensland Police Service, Hobart City Council, Aruma, Tradelink, Energy Queensland, Brisbane Motorways, Wodonga TAFE, Boeing, and BAE Systems. For the third year running, we secured 10 apprentice positions for our veterans through our mid-year intake for Ergon Energy, and we received 275 expressions of interest from employers looking to utilise and source talent from our veteran and partners talent pool – an increase of more than 75 per cent on the previous year. In 2021, 282 jobs were secured through our program, with 70 per cent found for veterans and 30 per cent for partners of veterans. Scholarship recipients can use the funding for course fees, administration fees, textbooks, and equipment required to complete the course. “It helped our family at a time when buying textbooks, for example, was financially difficult. It meant I was able to buy them without the stress of worrying about the cost and where the money was coming from. I could focus solely on studying.” TONI KING Wife of a veteran and RSL Queensland scholarship recipient Housing HOMELESSNESS PROGRAM RSL Queensland partners with The Salvation Army to get veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness into immediate emergency accommodation through our Homelessness Program. Once they’re safe, we help them find permanent rental accommodation and link them into our holistic range of support services to address their living condition, which is generally an outcome of complex underlying factors, not limited to the housing crisis and lack of affordable housing experienced this year. The RSL Employment Program was named finalist for the Prime Minister ’s Awards for Excellence in Supporting Partners Employment, and Finalist for the Defence Industry Awards for Veteran Support Program of the Year. “Hiring Defence partners and veterans is incredibly valuable to Suncorp. They bring a skillset that we need and a service ethos that aligns to our culture. The RSL Employment program offers a lot of benefits for veterans and Suncorp. As a veteran it provides you support and guidance, filtering out a lot of the noise that can be around during transition.” BEN DULLROY Veteran and Executive Manager Project Delivery at Suncorp Education and Skills SCHOLARSHIPS The RSL Queensland Scholarship program aims to empower ex-Defence personnel, partners, and the children of ex-Defence members by supporting them through tertiary study or vocational training. Each scholarship is valued at up to $4,000 a year for a maximum of three years. In 2021, 77 scholarships were awarded, worth $681,000. Continued on next page In 2021, we saw a 35 per cent growth in demand on the previous year, with 211 individuals and families helped into safe, permanent housing through our program. This year we grew our capacity with The Salvation Army from 45 to 60 veterans at any one time in the program, and will continue to increase this into 2022 as the demand for the service continues. ANGUS HOUSE Located close to the centre of Brisbane, Angus House provides a welcoming environment and all meals for veterans who need to access specialist medical treatment, convalesce after treatment, or take time out from a domestic situation. In 2021, 995 room nights were provided for short term accommodation. Accommodation and all meals at Angus House are charged at just $20 per day, with RSL Queensland subsiding these costs to ensure they’re affordable. Building Brighter Futures Annual Highlights Homelessness Program Scholarships RSL Employment Program