The Emerge Foundation, a charity run by financial advisers and fund managers, has announced a scholarship program to help veterans transition into tertiary education.
The charity was established by former financial adviser Ian MacRitchie and his wife Marionne MacRitchie in 2007, and is known for its education and healthcare programs in Timor Leste.
The Emerge Foundation now has 46 supporting financial services companies, with the majority being major fund managers. Its supporters include firms such as Perpetual, Colonial First State, Franklin Templeton, GQG Partners, Schroders and Cboe.
Off the back of Anzac Day, the charity has partnered with the Australian Catholic University (ACU) through a scholarship program assisting veterans as they commence tertiary education.
Specifically, veterans or their immediate family members can attend a bridging course at ACU. The university first established its veteran transition program in 2020 and has seen 86 per cent go on to complete their tertiary studies.
“Each year close to 6,000 members of the Australian Defence Force leave the military, however the transition to civilian life can be a challenging endeavour for many, with high rates of unemployment and mental health challenges prevalent in this community,” MacRitchie said.
“We have partnered with the ACU to help create better opportunities for veterans through higher education.”
Since it was established in 2007, the Emerge Foundation has raised approximately $5 million for its initiatives in Timor Leste. This includes helping 1,214 teachers and 400 maternal childcare participants graduate with a university degree while also providing over 5,000 children with sporting participation.
Prior to creating the charity, MacRitchie founded IMR Financial Advisors in 1991 which was later acquired by wealth management group Stanford Brown in 2015.
