Defence teens and their parents sometimes need support and it’s great to know there are a range of resources and programs available to help tackle the important questions.

One big question for Defence students is “what’s next?”

It’s a question many teens and young adults who have experienced the challenges that come from moving schools, saying goodbye to friends and wondering what stability in their educational and career pathway really looks like ask themselves.

Let’s be honest. It’s not always easy.

Whether it’s the stress of a parent’s deployment or the anxiety of adjusting to yet another new environment, these hurdles can make it tough for young people to feel like they are on track. Research shows that frequent school transitions, the emotional toll of deployments and navigating different education systems as families move across the country can make it harder for Defence students to thrive. And when it comes to figuring out what to do after school, things can feel even more uncertain. How do you plan a career when you don’t even know where you’ll be living next year?

Say hello to Skills Lab, a Soldier On career-readiness and development support programs designed specifically for Defence teens and young adults aged 16+.

Whether young people are still figuring out what they want to do or already have a dream job in mind, this program enables them to access the tools, connections, resources and industry insights to help them get there, no matter where Defence life takes them.

What Skills Lab offers:

• Discovery call with a Soldier On Education Officer
• Access to the Discover Your Career assessment
• Access to the Defence Student Career Readiness Handbook
• Access to an online catalogue of workshops (to be watched in your own time when convenient for you!)
• Traineeship and Apprenticeship opportunities through the Soldier On jobs & opportunities board
• Access to the Soldier On Education Guide, which connects you to Skills Lab’s education partners
• Access to thousands of free courses available on the IBM SkillsBuild and Udemy Platforms
• Individual personal and professional learning plans available
• Access to IT taster and industry-recognised courses through Cisco, IBM and Fortinet
• Opportunity to attend Soldier On Pathways networking events to meet and chat with potential Defence-friendly employers
• Work experience immersion program with IBM, proudly supported by Soldier On
• Access to the Soldier On Mentoring Program for those aged 18+.

Taking control of positive career pathways

Even though Defence life can be unpredictable, the career opportunities for young people don’t have to be. Whether Defence students and young adults are dreaming of a career in tech, trades, business, or something totally out of the box, Skills Lab helps them get career-ready, wherever they are.

Want in? Email education@soldieron.org.au to get started.

Tuning into Teens Program (parents-only)

Being a parent can be both rewarding and challenging — with or without the impact of Defence Force life and issues around career-readiness added into the mix. Everyone can benefit from support at times, and for parents of teens aged between 10 and 20, the upcoming Tuning into Teens parenting program can make a positive difference.

Tuning into Teens is an eight-week group parenting program developed to support family connections and reduce family conflict. The program consists of 8 x 90-minute weekly sessions, from 7-9 pm, starting Wednesday 23 July and finishing on Wednesday 10 September 2025.

Convenient online access to help manage conflict

To make it easy for families across Australia to access the support the program offers, Tuning into Teens is delivered online via Telehealth.

The program’s focus is on developing emotional intelligence. This concept is about being able to use your knowledge of emotions to make decisions, to calm yourself down, to manage anger and conflict, to help you in your relationships with other people and to understand what is happening in social situations (especially when that person is emotionally close to you).

In this 8-week program, you will:

• Develop an understanding of adolescent development, including brain development
• Develop an evolutionary understanding of the function of emotions
• Develop an understanding of the stress response system, the impact that military life can have on this system and the difficulties these changes can create when parenting
• Develop an understanding of the parenting brain and the impact of trauma on this brain region
• Develop greater awareness and acceptance of emotions in self and in your children (this helps with management)
• Gain skills to support you and your teens contain and explore their feelings
• Gain skills to foster empathy for yourself as a parent doing their best
• Explore ways to share emotional experiences as a family in a supportive way
• Learn about a five-step process to solve family problems and conflicts
• Learn how to implement self-care and anger regulation strategies, as well as understand ways to respond to sibling conflict.

Proven positive outcomes

Research shows that parents who have participated in the program report that their teens have better emotion regulation strategies, are better at managing anxiety and that the family unit experiences stronger, more positive relationships, including greater intimacy and closeness.

Register your interest

To find out more, send your expression of interest to psychology@soldieron.org.au and a member of the Soldier On team will get back to you shortly.