How connection, confidence and practical support helped Defence partners

Life can feel like a constant juggle. Balancing paid work, family and friends, caring responsibilities, health and wellbeing, and still finding time for joy – phew! It can be a lot. 

For families living a life of service through the Australian Defence Force or emergency services, that balance can be even harder to maintain. For both serving and civilian partners in families, frequent relocations and disrupted career pathways can make it difficult to build momentum, community, and a strong sense of self. Potentially add in caring loads of small or large children or other family members and that sense of ‘thriving’ can feel non-existent.

That is where Cowork Coplay comes in.

Designed for spouses and family members of current- and former- serving Defence members, Cowork Coplay creates space for participants to focus on career goals, connect with others who “get it,” and take practical steps toward employment or study, all while recognising the realities of service life.

Why connection and career support matter for spouses of Defence personnel

The Cowork Coplay Adelaide 2025 program—the third successful program since it first came to SA in 2023—wrapped up in June. This marked another successful program that helped Defence partners reconnect with their sense of purpose and potential. The 8-week program combines guided learning, coworking, and wellbeing sessions. 

The program is designed to develop human capital through increased career management skills, realising opportunities and social connections, offsetting the well-documented negative impact of Defence service life on partner employment and financial security of families. The focus on wellbeing is also critically important. 

The program intent aligns with government and community efforts to promote and facilitate health, wellbeing and financial security in veteran families, as outlined in the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide (Recommendations 103 and 86). It’s worth noting that unsupported families are a strategic risk to ADF capability as well as national security; one of the key reasons ADF members leave service is due to family dissatisfaction. The need to consider families in policy is clearly demonstrated in the Defence Workforce Plan 2024. Findings of the Royal Commission identify family dissatisfaction as a key contributor to voluntary separation. The Government has agreed to actions focused on maximising workforce retention by addressing the factors that lead ADF members to leave service. Supporting partners and families is therefore not only a wellbeing imperative, but an ADF workforce and capability priority.

Creating space for self-directed learning and action

The program offers practical support for employment goals, personal development, and intention setting. Fundamentally, it also provides a genuinely supportive environment shaped by people who understand the realities of Defence life. 

Participants are intentionally connected with trusted support services and resources available to Defence and veteran families. Many are surprised to discover how many long-standing services already exist but are not widely known (HINT: this is a flag for government and community agencies). By the end of the program, participants feel not only supported, but informed, empowered, and better equipped to navigate life alongside service.

This balance of structure and flexibility is what makes Cowork Coplay so effective. Jodilee, a participant in the Adelaide 2025 program, described one of its greatest strengths as the ability to “choose your own adventure”, a description that captures the program perfectly.

Participants leave having completed career development projects giving them clarity about their values, strengths, skills and interests and what they want for their life. They emerge with a stronger sense of direction, a renewed belief in themselves, and the confidence to take the next step, whether that’s returning to work, starting study, or launching a business. 

They also have a peer group throughout the program that supports them and provides shared insights and resources. In some programs we’ve seen participants hook others up with jobs and direct tips to navigate tricky university systems. 

From their perspectives; program participants share their views

Program participants arrive at Cowork Coplay with different experiences, needs and reasons for joining. What they share is the value of having dedicated time, supportive connection and practical guidance during periods of transition. We are honoured to share some snippets of what some participants have said:

For many participants, Cowork Coplay provides more than career support. It offers reassurance, belonging and renewed confidence at a time when isolation and uncertainty can feel overwhelming. This echoed in the comments by the Adelaide 2025 participants.

These reflections from participants capture the heart of what Cowork Coplay is about, not just career growth, but also personal empowerment, meaningful connection and the confidence to move forward. These benefits extend far beyond participants themselves and positively influence families and the broader Defence and veteran community.

Charting a career course with practical support

Cowork Coplay provides participants with more than just inspiration, the program delivers tangible outcomes. Each session blends coworking time with practical learning, from career planning and job readiness to wellbeing and self-care.

Through this approach, participants can apply what they learn immediately, for example updating their resumes, mapping career pathways, researching local jobs, getting onto LinkedIn and setting and achieving  goals that matter to them. The environment encourages small, meaningful steps that build momentum and long-term resilience.

“I finally got the courage to apply to study Project Management.” – Laura. Laura commenced her course in 2025, taking a practical step toward her future plans.

How participants use the program naturally differs depending on where they are in their career and life journey. Hayley, a veteran spouse and mother of three, used Cowork Coplay to adapt her floristry business, strengthen her resume and LinkedIn profile, and position herself for future opportunities, while also reconnecting with her identity beyond motherhood.

As Hayley reflected: “There was nothing to lose and everything to gain. I gained some great friendships and a new community. I gained information about employment options and opportunities… I gained time away from wearing my Mum hat and space to dream about things I want in my future and tools to carve out a plan to make it happen.”

By the end of the program, many participants reported feeling not only more confident, but more capable of balancing the demands of Defence life with their own aspirations.

How Cowork Coplay strengthens the Defence and veteran community

The benefits of Cowork Coplay extend well beyond individual participants. By supporting Defence and veteran partners to build meaningful careers, social connection and wellbeing, the program contributes to family wellbeing, workforce participation and Defence capability.

Cowork Coplay provides partners with dedicated space to refocus, reconnect with their goals and move forward with clarity. Through face-to-face, strengths-based learning and wrap-around support, participants develop career management skills, pursue employment or study outcomes, and rebuild confidence and momentum. The momentum created strengthens family wellbeing and financial security, which are critical factors that influence Defence member retention and readiness. When families feel supported, Defence members are better able to serve with confidence, creating a positive ripple effect across the Defence and national security ecosystem.

The program addresses a well-documented challenge: Defence service life significantly disrupts partner employment. Frequent relocations see up to 8 in 10 partners temporarily out of work, with many experiencing reduced pay and underemployment. Cowork Coplay aims to offset this impact by re-engaging underutilised talent, improving workforce participation and helping fill skill shortages across Defence industry, health, education and other key sectors. In doing so, it reduces a known strategic risk: family dissatisfaction, which remains one of the leading reasons ADF members choose to leave service.

Cowork Coplay aligns with recognised wellbeing drivers for the Defence and veteran community, including employment and meaningful activity, social connection, education and skills, income and financial security, and overall health. These factors are critical not only for individual and family thriving, but also for reducing long-term risks within the veteran community and supporting sustainable service.

The model is proven and scalable. Successful programs have been delivered in Canberra (pre-COVID), Perth (2024), Adelaide (2023–2025), and most recently Darwin (2025). Backed by sponsorships from Veterans SA, NT Government, Royal Australian Navy, WorkSec and APOD the program is connected to government policy and employer strategies, and actively connects participants to local services such as DMFS, Open Arms and Veteran and Family Wellbeing Hubs.

A defining strength of the model is its commitment to employing spouses from the service community as facilitators. This embeds lived experience and local knowledge into delivery and provides a more empathetic experience for participants. Designed for national growth, Human Quotient Group is on a path to expanding Cowork Coplay into key Defence and veteran family locations across Australia, strengthening local networks and ensuring more families can access timely, meaningful support.

> Read more about Pamela Turner, one of our Program Facilitators. 

Creating space for what matters

Cowork Coplay is part of the work by Human Quotient Group, a certified social enterprise, to redefine what support for meaningful employment in the service community looks like. By combining connection, purpose, and practical tools, the program reduces some of the barriers to employment and gives partners an opportunity to reflect, take action, strengthen their identity, and move toward meaningful work or study.

Each story shared from Cowork Coplay Adelaide 2025, and those stories captured on our Impact webpage, is a reminder of why this initiative matters, because when Defence and veteran partners are supported to thrive, the whole Defence community and broader society benefits.