AmCham Australia Members Make 2020 Remembrance Day Commitment

Tuesday, 10 November 2020

AmCham Australia Members Make 2020 Remembrance Day Commitment 
  
to
  
“Give a Vet a Go”
  
Dozens of AmCham Australia member companies have pledged to “Give a Vet a Go” through a range of initiatives aimed at bringing more veterans into the civilian workforce. AmCham companies know that employing veterans makes good business sense. The men and women who separate from the military have received world-class training, skills, and qualifications that make them valuable to AmCham company workforces. 
  
“Veterans are a unique, diverse and high-performing source of talent for the private sector in a competitive marketplace,” according to AmCham Chairman and former Defence Minister Dr Brendan Nelson AO. “Many of the 5,500 men and women who separate from the military each year have a range of skills that make them valuable employees, such as: leadership, risk management, problem solving and critical thinking, and communication.”
  
And, according to Minister for Veterans’ Affairs the Hon Darren Chester MP, "Hiring a veteran is good for your business. Our veterans bring an extensive range of skills, abilities, behaviours and attributes to civilian workplaces. The Federal Government is committed to supporting veteran employment, with the continued funding of the Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Program, which is based on the premise that a job is key to a successful transition from the Australian Defence Force. The ‘Give a Vet a go’ initiative will further support employment opportunities for our ex-service personnel and the wider veteran community, and I look forward to working with AmCham Australia and supporting their member companies that have pledged to grow the veteran workforce through employment support, skills recognition and mentoring.”
  
To mark Remembrance Day 2020, the below AmCham members aim to support veteran employment through: 
• Showcasing the current veteran talent already employed within their organisations;
• Welcoming veteran applicants for open positions in their companies, and encouraging those in related industries to do the same;
• Growing the number of veteran hires within their organisation;
• Committing to review the applications of qualified veteran applicants for open positions and having a recruitment process in place where veteran applicant skills and service experience are understood and valued;
• Supporting unsuccessful veteran applicants with the opportunity to seek actionable feedback to improve future employment prospects; and
• Where possible, identifying mentors, educators, and veteran alumni for new veteran hires to network, skill up and accelerate their success.

“AmCham’s story has always revolved around its members: for 60 years, we have been creating opportunities for the business community to increase trade and investment between Australia and the United States,” says AmCham CEO April Palmerlee. “Many of our member companies have successful veteran employment programs in place in the United States, and they are eager to adapt strategies for the Australian environment. We are here to support our members in achieving these goals.”
  
Hundreds of AmCham member companies operate in areas where veteran skills are highly transferable, including: Administration and Logistics, Engineering, Healthcare, Hospitality, Information Management, Project Management, Security, and Trades.
  
“Throughout our 20-year history, we have hired a large number of veterans” says Jim Whalley, Founder Nova Systems and former RAAF Pilot. “I know first-hand that veterans bring to the workforce unique and transferable skills, proven in real-world situations, and add value from day one.” 
  
“The RSL welcomes AmCham’s initiative to ‘give veterans a go.” Says Greg Melick, National RSL President. “The RSL-led veterans employment program can support each AmCham member by connecting them to skilled veterans and people who are transitioning out of the ADF”.
  
For more information, contact Amie O’Mahony on [email protected]. 
 
  
AmCham Members Supporting the 'Give a Vet a Go' Initiative

• 3M Australia Pty Ltd
• Albemarle Lithium
• The Australian National University
• Aspen Medical
• AT&T
• Atlas
• Australian Frontline Solutions
• Bannister Downs 
• Boeing Australia Holdings Pty Ltd
• ConocoPhillips Australia Operations
• Hancock Agriculture
• Innovusion
• INPEX Operations Australia Pty Ltd
• Kidman & Co
• KPMG
• Lendlease Corporation
• Lockheed Martin Australia Pty Ltd
• MSTS
• Mulga Downs Exploration
• Northrop Grumman Australia Pty Ltd
• Nova Systems
• Pacific Aerospace Consulting
• RedEye
• RGP
• Riley Mathewson Public Relations
• Roy Hill Holdings
• Stryker
• Thomas Global Systems
• Ventia Services Group Pty Ltd

 About AmCham Australia
AmCham is a not-for-profit Australian membership organisation that promotes two-way trade and investment between the United States and Australia.