INTERNATIONAL VETERAN EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT NETWORK
Our goal is to make education an option as a recognised pathway!
Separating from the military and other first responder services is a challenging time. Returning to civilian life and family and friends is exciting but can also be a time of uncertainty. Coming from a highly scheduled life to a life that is open and maybe initially without clear direction requires reorientation across the domains of employment, housing, education, justice, health, and the community. If one has health issues the transition can be even more challenging.
At Open Door we recognise that opportunity and support are two great scaffolds to making the journey across the civilian-military culture gap. Open Door is an Australasian multi-disciplinary research hub that exists to disseminate research information to academics, practitioners, and veterans interested in the research policy and service provision for veterans and first responders.
The Network operates as an international network of scholars and practitioners focused on elevating the educational and professional success of service members, veterans, and families. Countries represented include:
Australia, Canada, England (also covering Northern Ireland and Wales at present), New Zealand, The Netherlands, The United States, and Scotland.
We believe service members, veterans, and their families are forces of positive change in their workplaces and communities who have earned elective higher educational opportunities in recognition of their knowledge experience, and service
MEET THE TEAM
BEN WADHAM
Flinders University (AUS)
MATTHEW WYATT-SMITH
Australian Student Veterans Association (AUS)
DR. GERRI MATTHEWS-SMITH
Scotland (Edinburgh Napier)
DARRYL CATHCART
Canada
MIKE ALMOND
Forces in Mind Trust Professor of Veterans and Families Studies
& Armed Forces Engagement Lead
Anglia Ruskin University
Chelmsford
SUZETTE BREMAULT PHILIPS
Canada Alberta University
BART BEUCHNER
United States
KARL HAMNER
United States Alabama
AIM
To serve as a global network for the creation, discovery, and exchange of knowledge, development of research opportunities, and activities to broaden the educational and professional success of service members and veterans.
We work to understand the present by facilitating a global inventory of each participating nation’s significant policies, programs, and resources focused on supporting service members' and veterans’ educational and professional success.
We shape the future by:
serving as an international exchange of critical ideas, emergent practices, policy developments, and other key issues affecting the educational and professional success of service members and veterans via monthly virtual conference calls and an annual symposium;
providing connections for international and cross-disciplinary research and policy papers focused on exploring and advancing the educational and professional success of service members and veterans; and
Encouraging our national HEIs, public officials, and supporting parties to promote and facilitate educational opportunities for service members, veterans, and their families
MONTHLY MEETINGS
The IVEE are committed to working together and with you to help veterans and families pursue a pathway of education and employment. This includes an open invitation to our IVEE community to attend our monthly meetings.
Listed below is a schedule for these meetings. Should you wish to attend, please join our IVEE network with the button below.
April- Veteran entry pathways
May- Implementation of military and veteran-friendly campuses
June- Orientation programs for military members and veterans pursuing education
July- Collaboration between post secondary institutions and partners
August-Transition and resettlement
September- Families of veterans and supporting their study
October- Necessary support services for success
November- Industry connections
December- Role of education in rehabilitation programs
RESEARCH
Through research, the International Veteran Education and Employment Network (IVEEN) seeks to illuminate and promote college and university education for veterans and their families. The IVEEN team believes education can give people hope and inspire our military-connected community to aim for jobs/careers they are passionate about.
Veterans pursuing higher education at University/College can experience many difficulties transitioning and adjusting to life beyond the military and the new environment of the educational facility. Our research aims to investigate known and potential barriers for the military-connected/affiliated community entering a higher education faculty. By understanding the barriers, the IVEEN seeks to create evidence-based pathways and support networks to implement across higher education facilities across the world.
Areas of current interest:
Financial implication/stress
Identity (such as cultural and moral differences)
Transferable military skills (Recognised prior learning to help enrollment opportunities).
Veteran friendly University/College Campuses
Peer support
AVAILABLE SERVICES
MILITARY ACADEMIC PATHWAYS PROGRAM
MAPP is specifically designed to assist military personnel to transition successfully into university, both academically and socially. 100% of students surveyed said they felt more confident starting university studies following completion of the MAPP.
This program is open to Australian Defence Force veterans, including personnel still serving, those in the process of transition, and people who have already left the military.
The program is available at no cost to the student.
VETERANS ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION PROGRAM
This program is available to veterans, current serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members, including reservists, first responders, and immediate family members.
Through VEEP, our Veterans’ Engagement and Education Program, we help you to balance your study with work and family commitments and to respond to some of the unique challenges that may arise as a result of your service.
RSL EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
If you're an Australian Defence Force veteran or the partner of a current or former Defence member, we can help you take the next step towards finding meaningful employment. Explore the free programs for ex-service people, partners, and potential employers
.
This program is available nationally (throughout Australia), powered by RSL Queensland.
SOLDIER ON EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Soldier On provides veterans and their families with education and employment support via a pathways program.
If you’d like to translate your military skills and experience to the civilian workplace, are looking to gain new qualifications, additional skills or vocational training as part of your career transition. We can help you find the course to suit your career aspirations. Soldier On education partners offer courses throughout Australia.
UK MILITARY OF DEFENCE OFFERS FOR VETERAN EDUCATION
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is promoting lifelong learning among members of the Armed Forces and the veteran community by providing Learning Credits through the Enhanced Learning Credits scheme (ELC) and Further Education and Higher Education (FEHE) scheme.
The schemes entitle eligible service personnel and service leavers to receive financial assistance towards their learning.
From 30 March 2021, changes to the learning scheme policy will increase accessibility to the schemes and enable eligible veterans to use learning credits to gain personal and professional qualifications in a more flexible way.
VETERANS AND FAMILIES RESEARCH HUB
“Provide an accessible, contemporary and authoritative repository of UK and international research-related resources and literature on military veterans and their families, including transitions to civilian lives, that informs and stimulates research, policy development, improved service delivery and journalistic enquiry.”
IVEEN MEETING NOTES
June
Notes from meeting of 1/6/2022
Present
Ben , Warren, Mike, Fabienne, Gerri, Melody, Suzette, Yves
Mike led discussion on pre-entry programmes for veterans, specifically around three key areas:
Pre entry – to help to orientate people on what to expect
Orientation for those that have just joined the university
Orientation or programmes to help support or maintain them
Warren mentioned they are working on developing a module and hoping to have it in place for September.
Ben presented his programme which is well developed and for which (https://www.flinders.edu.au/study/pathways/military-veterans). This programme has been running for the pat 2 years with great success in that 80 per cent of participants have gone on to university programmes.
Programme lasts for 4 weeks this acts as an entry programme and removes the need to complete level 12?
Also, part of the discussion was would this be suitable for access for spouses or army children
Gerri mentioned the new veterans /Armed forces Moodle site created at ENU and the discussion on a taster module. Also, some discussion on the graduate apprenticeship model.
There followed some discussion on funding from forces providers such as aerospace
Suzette raised the issue of how funding can be accessed as a university and the number of barriers often in the way as this is led by a specific department. Mike and Gerri agreed
Gerri Suggested asking Matthew-Louis to do a presentation on Purepost the system developed by him and his colleagues as the concept of using a system to help eterans to develop their CV and life skills was worthy of further investigation
Warren described
https://umextended.ca/military-support/military-transfer-credits/