21 January 2021
Reservists and their civilian employers have been recognised across Australia for their contribution to the ADF through the Prince of Wales Award scheme.
The Prince of Wales Award, commonly known as PoWA, is an annual scheme acknowledging supportive civilian employers of ADF reservists.
Funded by Defence, reservists are required to submit an application outlining a professional development activity or training they would like to undertake to upskill and benefit their civilian career.
The scheme aims to reward reservists and their civilian employers for their dedication and commitment to Defence capability by providing the opportunity to develop new, highly sought skillsets that may otherwise not have been available to them.
Each award is granted strictly on merit, from a strong field of applications, 13 ADF reservists were selected.
Each reservist will receive up to $8000 to participate in their chosen professional development activity.
PoWA recipient from 2019 Sergeant Steven Young is a serving paramedic with NSW Ambulance.
He said he used his award to gain a recognised Certificate III in Aviation, two drone category upgrades and complete his chief remote pilot training and assessment.
“I would strongly encourage reservists to apply for PoWA, as an opportunity to bring to the workplace initiatives that would otherwise be seen as cost prohibitive, to the individual or business. It’s a great opportunity for self development,” Sergeant Young said.
Lieutenant Claire Pounsett is a clinical nurse in paediatric intensive care and also a 2019 PoWA recipient. She said she was undergoing a one-year post graduate certificate in Maternal Critical Care.
“The training I’m undertaking allows me to learn the response required for maternal emergencies and postpartum care. This area is reasonably new and research is still being developed, the post-graduation certificate will give me the opportunity to share what I’ve learnt amongst our team,” Lieutenant Pounsett said.
“I would recommend the Prince of Wales Award to other reservists. It’s a great opportunity to undertake education and a way to demonstrate to employers the benefits of reserve service.”
See the full list of winning recipients for PoWA 2020 at www.defencereservessupport.gov.au.
Applications for the 2021 Prince of Wales Award will be opening soon.
