This week on the Military Life Podcast, I speak with Veteran Partner and Founder of Cowork Coplay Claire Harris about the importance of supporting the career goals of Defence Partners through innovative programs.
Claire and I also talk about;
-The concept behind Cowork Coplay and how lived experience guided how Claire created the initiative and built the social enterprise
-Why Cowork Coplay was developed for defence partners with young children
-The many (and complex) career and well-being challenges defence partners are navigating
-How Cowork Coplay connects defence partners to career, community and childcare
-The importance of collaboration; how existing support organisations and groups can benefit from partnering with others in the wider defence/veteran community
-The evolution of Cowork Coplay (from before COVID hit) to now and why being able to offer the program around the country via a done-with-you service model was the next step
-Why Claire has teamed up with Veterans SA to offer Cowork Coplay in South Australia in 2023
-The benefits of working with heart-centred organisations, like Veterans SA, who understand the needs of the defence community
-Potential benefits for defence partners, for example, to have focused, self-directed time and space to pursue goals, build confidence and build connections with others
-Claire’s big vision: all Defence families can pursue the kind of work they want (contributing their talents to local communities) and build the connections they need to live a fulfilled life.
-Future plans to run the Cowork Coplay program in more locations as one small piece of the puzzle of modern, meaningful programs and initiatives for defence partners.
In the second part of episode 144 of the Podcast, Chantelle Bohan, Director of Veterans SA, speaks about why supporting Defence Partners with innovative solutions like Cowork Coplay is a WIN WIN.
Chantelle and I also talk about;
-Who Veterans SA is, why their focus has shifted to include defence spouses and families more, and the steps they are taking to support defence partners and families
-The importance of listening to, engaging and consulting with people in both the defence and veteran community and drawing from their lived experience
-How recent community forums, surveys and an increased effort to hear community feedback lead to Veterans SA collaborating with Cowork Coplay
-Why understanding defence spouses and the challenges they face when it comes to career, community and childcare is important
-The decision to pilot the Cowork Coplay program in Adelaide in 2023 and why the program is a great fit for Veterans SA
-Why Veterans SA is committed to undertaking community consultation to find out how they can help and support the community
-The key themes that emerged from the recent Veteran and Defence Families Forum hosted by Veterans SA
-How those key themes and feedback will help determine the strategic aims and outcomes for Veterans SA in the coming years
-The importance of defence partners and families having opportunities to have input and give feedback on the available supports and programs on offer
-Why the individual goals of the people participating in the Cowork Coplay program are more important to Veterans SA than traditional KPIs
-Why Veterans SA hope to advocate for other states and territories to also consider supporting innovative programs like Cowork Coplay
You can find out more information about the Cowork Coplay pilot program that is set to get underway in February 2023 in South Australia via www.coworkcoplay.com.au/program
To find out more information about Veterans SA check out their website via www.veteranssa.sa.gov.au
