Veterans to be offered fee-free tuition to boost employment

Veterans in NSW will soon be able to access free education and training through TAFE as part of a new initiative to help returned defence force personnel integrate back into the community.

More than 1200 men and women leave the defence force each year and a survey conducted by the ADF revealed one of the biggest challenges was the transition back into civilian life.

The program will offer veterans the chance to choose between more than 450 registered training organisations, including TAFE, to gain fee-free qualifications to boost their employment opportunities.

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Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the free training was part of the NSW Government's Veterans Strategy to support more than 200,000 former Australian Defence Force personnel across NSW.

"Our veterans who serve for our nation deserve to be recognised and deserve to be eased back into civilian life," Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

James Rea, who left from the RAAF in 2014 and continues to serve as a Squadron Leader for the Army Reserves, said the program was much needed for members of the armed forces.

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"It's not always easy to transition the skills you've gained through service into an often quite narrow stream in civilian life."

"This is a great opportunity for folks such as myself to step out of the uniform and acquire the skills we need to then step into civilian employment and to take away some of the financial burden."

The program will focus in particular on areas around Nowra, Wagga Wagga, the Hunter and greater Sydney region.