Partner education and employment funding

DCO provides funding for employment and education expenses to assist recognised partners of ADF members to better position themselves for employment when posted with their partner.

IMPORTANT UPDATE, MARCH 2013: Please note that we are currently experiencing an unusually high demand for education and employment funding. Partners should note that processing time for applications and requests for payment is now 28 days at a minimum. You should take this into account when submitting your application or request for payment.

The Partner Employment and Education Program, or PEEP, offers two tiers of funding to eligible partners.

Tier 1

Approved partners are provided with an education and employment allowance of $12 000 to use within 10 years. You can use up to $6000 of this allowance per posting, and apply it towards a range of education and employment expenses, including:

• education or training courses, up to and including first time undergraduate degrees,
• professional employment assistance, such as career advice and help with job applications,
• superannuation setup,
• personalised resume preparation, and
• renewing professional registration in a new location.

Tier 2

Tier 2 funding is available to the partners of Private to Sergeant (and equivalent) enlisted ranks and Lieutenant to Captain (and equivalent) officer ranks.

This entitles you to an in‑financial year, one‑off payment of up to $3000 which can be used for education or vocational courses, up to and including first time undergraduate degrees.

Partners can only apply for one Tier at a time, and those who successfully apply for Tier 2 may not apply for Tier 1 for three years. The funding expended under Tier 2 will be deducted from the Tier 1 allowance if you receive Tier 1 PEEP in future years.

Tier 2 will be offered until 30 June 2014.

If you have any queries about PEEP, contact the all-hours Defence Family Helpline on
1800 624 608 or DefenceFamilyHelpline@defence.gov.au.

How to apply

Applications are opened yearly until the funding allowance is exhausted.

Interested partners need to read the guidelines and eligibility criteria and then fill in the Tier 1 or Tier 2 application form. You will need to demonstrate the relevance of the proposed study to your chosen field of employment. Self-interest or hobby courses will not be funded under PEEP.

Forms need to be submitted, at least two weeks prior to the commencement date of any course or training you are applying for.

All ssistance provided under PEEP will attract Fringe Benefits Tax for the ADF member, not the partner. We strongly advise you to seek financial advice about how this will affect your tax and benefits before committing to the program.

 

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Open Universities Australia

Defence has a partnership with Open Universities Australia (OUA), which offers higher‑education and vocational study options from single units to entire degree programs. Partners are encouraged to take up distance learning through OUA, as it allows you to learn at your own pace and from wherever you are currently posted.

OUA’s value‑added offer for Defence includes an advisory support team, financial assistance for textbooks and tutorial support.

This offer is not limited to successful PEEP applicants and extends to ADF personnel and Defence APS employees and their immediate families.

Visit the website at www.open.edu.au/oua/peep for more information.

Online employment resources

There are several free employment resources available online which may be of use to Defence partners. Free professional resume builders are a great resource and are available on the internet. Entering ‘resume builder’ into a search engine will give you an extensive range to choose from.

JobSearch is Australia’s largest free jobs website.  It is funded and operated by the Australian Government as a free service to help job seekers gain employment and connect employers with quality staff. Visit www.jobsearch.gov.au for more information.

The Australian Public Service Commission’s Cracking the code – How to apply for jobs in the Australian Public Service is a comprehensive online resource that includes advice on how to answer selection criteria and handling a job interview. Visit www.apsc.gov.au for more information.

FamilySMART

The SMART suite of programs help Defence families develop their resilience, providing them with the psychological resources to manage the military way of life. Increasing your ‘psychological resilience’ means that despite experiencing frustrations and challenging circumstances, you can still maintain an optimistic outlook and keep going.

The SMART programs teach you a series of skills including grounding techniques, progressive muscle relaxation, changing self-talk, problem solving, and expressing emotions.

During a SMART session participants will also be given information and resources to connect them with valuable local community resources. The programs are delivered by local Defence Social Workers in small group sessions, and provide practical tips and techniques to help manage stressful situations.

To sign up for any of the SMART sessions in your region, or to find out more information, contact the all-hours Defence Family Helpline on DefenceFamilyHelpline@defence.gov.au or 1800 624 608.

Read more about looking after your mental health and wellbeing.

FamilySMART

FamilySMART is a series of group programs designed to help the partners of ADF members identify and build on their strengths, learn techniques to cope with the stressors and challenges of the military lifestyle, and become more resilient, self-reliant and proactive.

The programs target challenging aspects of Defence life such as deployment, relocations, partner absence from home, or reuniting with a partner who is returning after a long time away.

KidSMART and TeenSMART

As part of the SMART series, we also offer programs designed for primary aged children and teenagers to help them manage issues arising from relocation and deployment.

Find more details in the For kids tab of Programs and products for kids.

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