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Flinders University developed a program to identify needs of transitioning veterans
A pilot program to help military veterans embrace new futures has identified key obstacles to support returned or retired service people.
The Federal Government’s creation of a commissioner to investigate defence and veteran suicides highlights the complex challenges facing those who have completed service, and the broader impacts on families and communities.
A pilot program to help military veterans embrace new futures has identified key obstacles to re-training and delivered valuable information to support returned or retired service people at a transitional time in their lives.
Led by Associate Professor Ben Wadham, Flinders University developed a one-of-a-kind program in Australia last year - the Military Academic Pathway Program (MAPP) - which incorporates international best practice in veterans’ academic pathways.
A military veteran himself, Associate Professor Wadham says:
“Our aim was to establish a veteran entry pathway that minimised the red tape people experience when leaving the Australian Defence Force and considering university as an option.”
The Flinders University MAPP program, launched on Remembrance Day 2019, attracted 27 participants with 19 completing the course and 14 subsequently applying for university in engineering, paramedics, international relations and psychology fields.
Associate Professor Wadham says:
“When someone leaves the military, they are seeking new opportunities and new direction. They acquire significant skills during their service, many of which are transferable, but do not know all the opportunities out there. [...] I took this path after my own time in the defence force and negotiated a way to higher education, but it was not without its challenges”
Source: Flinders University News
