Member Article

Forces personnel get a careers boost

Ex-forces personnel are getting a helping hand in finding new civilian careers on Teesside, in an effort to fill the growing need for more highly-skilled workers. The Tees Valley Engineering Partnership is currently facilitating the recruitment of ex-forces personnel as a viable method of filling job vacancies amongst its members. This training initiative, which will be partly subsidised by the TVEP, is intended to help ease the career transition process. Two recruitment events have already been held at Catterick Garrison, attended by companies such as Corus, Amec, R Blackett Charlton and Hertel.

Malcolm Potter, Manager of the Tees Valley Engineering Partnership, said: “There is a national labour deficit within the engineering sector, which is expected to worsen unless the issue is addressed soon. Personnel leaving the Armed Forces often have a range of transferable skills and practical engineering experience, which makes them ideal candidates to alleviate these shortages. “The recent recruitment event at Catterick Garrison was all about getting this message across and showing service personnel that there are real career prospects within the engineering sector here on Teesside. Already a number of people have been offered employment as a result of these events. This number will increase over the next month or two. “Overall, the event was a real success for all involved and hopefully it will help lead individuals who are leaving the Armed Forces into a new and beneficial career.”

According to experts there are around 1,500 skilled engineers who leave the Armed Forces every year, at least 150 of whom seek new careers locally.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .