Veterans who found new work say there is life after the Armed Forces

Local Armed Forces Veterans who have found civilian jobs want to reassure Service leavers and Veterans that there is life after the Armed Forces. The message comes as Plymouth is preparing to hold its Veterans Jobs Fair later this month.

The Jobs Fair, which has been organised by Plymouth Armed Forces Corporate Covenant (coordinated by Plymouth City Council), is the first of its kind in the city and aims to help veterans back into work when they return to Civvy Street. It takes place at the Plymouth Guildhall on Tuesday 19 July 2016 from 12pm to 8pm.

In total, 45 local employers have signed up to the event and local veterans have told us about the diverse career paths their lives have followed, ranging from working in estates, to legal services and submarine safety. Plymouth has been praised at a national level for its pioneering Corporate Covenant work, and was featured on the Alex Polizzi documentary ‘Hire Our Heroes’ on BBC2 a few months ago.

Some of the local veterans who have already found new careers and lives talk about their experiences here.

Natasha Mason – Paralegal, Wolferstans Solicitors

Natasha worked in the Royal Navy for 19 years in the Communications and Weapons Engineering branches. Natasha is in her final year of studying for a law degree with Plymouth University and is now working with Wolferstans Solicitors. She volunteered for the Universities Law Clinic advising on employment issues.

Natasha said: “I was nervous about applying for jobs having been turned down for one already. I researched law firms in Plymouth and found that Wolferstans Solicitors had signed the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant, were Bronze Award holders in Defence Employers Recognition Scheme and provided advice clinics for our Armed Forces community.

“I was offered a paralegal position in the Family Law department and since then have moved to the Personal Injury department and work within the Wolferstans Armed Forces Community Team to provide greater support and signposting to our armed forces personnel, our veterans and their families by working with other local support organisations.”

Ian Marne – Senior Safety Consultant, BMT Cadence

Ian served in the Royal Navy for 34 years in both surface ships and submarines before leaving in the rank of Warrant Officer 2 Engineering Technician (Marine Engineering SM).

Ian left the Royal Navy in June 2012 and began civilian life by attending a Career Transition Workshop, where he says he found the interview techniques particularly helpful. He attended jobs fairs in Bristol and Plymouth and found networking extremely useful, and through networking Ian found a job with BMT Defence Services Ltd in Bath.

After 3 years, Ian transferred to BMT DSL’s sister company BMT Cadence, as a Senior Safety Consultant, and is now based in their Plymouth Office.

Ian said: “My advice to other service leavers is, make sure you network as much as possible. Make the most of the contacts you have, old shipmates and acquaintances etc, as you never know where it may lead. Also, make use of the Career Transition Workshops and job search engines, but most of all, ensure that your CV is the best it can be.”

Pete Ogburn – Estates Manager, Babcock

Pete was a Royal Navy engineer and while he says it was not difficult for him to get a job after leaving the Royal Navy, he did want to remain in Plymouth so as not to have to travel.

For a while Pete did have jobs that involved travelling, so that he could stay in work, but then he got a job with Babcock.

Pete said: “Luckily, just at the right time for me, Babcock were making changes to their workforce and my skills fitted the bill for a specific job in estates management.

“Babcock’s strong links with the Royal Navy, through their contacts in Devonport Dockyard, has meant that my employment has kept me close to the military world to feel at home and far enough away to ensure my civilian career is completely separate.

“Babcock is a great company for Veterans to work for. They recognise the strengths that a military career can bring to civilian employment and they help employees to build upon these skills to be the best that they can be.”

The jobs fair will give an opportunity for employers and potential employees to meet and discuss job opportunities, and there will be focused workshops, mock interviews and CV writing throughout the day.

There will also be a café/refreshment area and services will be on hand to provide advice to Serving and Veterans family members, including The Royal British Legion; Advice Plymouth; SSAFA; Help for Heroes and others.

Councillor Glenn Jordan, Cabinet Member for Culture for Plymouth City Council and Plymouth’s Armed Forces Champion, said: “The main message we want to get out there is that there is life after the Armed Forces. As a Veteran myself, I know the transition back into civilian life can be really tough for Veterans. There is higher unemployment amongst this group, but it’s really important that we make sure Veterans know that there is work out there and that they have really valuable and transferrable skills. It’s important that they know there is support and help out there as well to move into civilian work.

“That is why our Corporate Covenant is working with local employers to make sure more of our Veterans are able to move on and find work and I hope we get plenty of people attending the jobs fair.”

Heather Ogburn, Senior Leadership Advisor for Plymouth City Council, who coordinates the Covenant for the Council, said: “There are so many examples of Armed Forces Veterans who have managed to pursue a new career in an entirely different discipline so if you have recently left the forces and are looking for work there’s a world of opportunity out there for you.”

For more information on the Jobs Fair, visit www.plymouth.gov.uk/veteransjobsfair