Cowork Coplay programs address
3 core challenges
If you’re the partner/spouse of a Defence member or veteran, you’ve probably experienced disruptions to your career. Whether that’s employment, running a business or studying.
Despite being able to keep in touch over social media, you probably feel disconnected from friends and family as a result of the military experience.
(Research and reviews by academics and government have also identified many challenges! They’re real.)
Cowork Coplay has been designed to address 3 of these core issues:
Lack of time to pursue career development and meaningful work
Isolation from community and family supports
Limited access to flexible, affordable child care for young children
Focus on your career with Cowork Coplay
Tailored programs providing career support and community connection with child care.
See Cowork Coplay on ABC News
Watch the recent ABC News story about Cowork Coplay, filmed in Adelaide. The Adelaide program was sponsored by Veterans SA.
Copyright: ABC, View on ABC website.
Want a program in your region?
Emma Murray, Adelaide
Helping organisations offer targeted career development and community support
Cowork Coplay programs revolutionise the way organisations deliver career development support and community building.
We provide organisations with a complete program package: 1) the program content and facilitation so that participants can make progress on their career, wellbeing and community connection goals, 2) all logistics including child care, 3) marketing, client management, reporting and evaluation.
Cowork Coplay has been designed specifically to serve the needs of the Defence and ex-Defence family community. But it has wider appeal for adults, parents or not, from all walks of life wanting to engage in professional activities.
Our recent 2024 programs
Perth program
Cowork Coplay: Perth, sponsored as a trial for Navy partners.
Combining the things that matter: meaningful work, community, family.
Work
what matters to you
Learn
with others
Connect
supportive environment
What’s in a program?
A program is a minimum 6 of weeks, 1 half-day per week.
Weekly facilitated coworking sessions include:
Time for you
Tailored education and self-development
We provide information and relevant workshops and guidance from experts/mentors.
Community building and peer learning
Accessible child care
Child care, creche-style: a safe location nearby where children are cared for in the same building.
Information about local support
Who we partner with
Find out how Cowork Coplay can deliver value for your communities and raise awareness of your services and mission.
Cowork Coplay News
APOD Blog: APOD is proud to support the Cowork Coplay program
The program returns to Adelaide in 2025 for the partners of current and former serving Defence members. Founded by defence spouses, supporting defence families is in APOD’s DNA.
Contact article: ‘Navy trials free childcare and partner mentoring’
A six-week trial provided Navy families with professional mentoring for three hours a week and free childcare at the same location.
From February to March (2024), 15 Navy partners and their children completed the co-located education and childcare trial with ‘Cowork Coplay’ in Rockingham, WA.
Their Stories: Emma
Welcome to our blog series: Their Stories. We explore what meaningful work and Defence service means to the lives of partners.
Emma Murray participated in the Cowork Coplay Program in Adelaide in 2023. She’s just started a new and exciting role in Project Management after relocating to NSW in January 2025.
Here she shares with us a bit of her background, her experience with with the program and the goals she pursued since. We’re so excited for her next career step!
Claire Harris finalist in 2024 Prime Minister’s National Veteran Employment Awards
The annual Prime Minister’s National Veteran Employment Awards recognise outstanding contributions of Australian organisations and individuals in supporting veterans and their partners/spouses. The Awards celebrate organisations that have made significant efforts as employers and other categories honour individual veterans and partners who have excelled as employees or entrepreneurs.
ABC News: New program supporting defence families who frequently relocate
The 'Cowork Coplay' program provides partners of ADF personnel free childcare and mentoring to help them connect with each other and pursue business and study opportunities. ABC National News Story.
Veterans SA report, 2023/2024: A year of impact
Veterans SA has released their report for 2023-2024 on the impact achieved in collaboration with the community over the year. Cowork Coplay is featured. They say: "Veterans SA is proud to have deployed a wide range of initiatives over this time, many which were firsts...
