Plymouth helps Veterans back into work

A jobs fair is the latest initiative in Plymouth to help support Veterans back into work following their return to ‘Civvy Street’.

The Plymouth Corporate Covenant Group, coordinated by Plymouth City Council, has organised the jobs fair for armed forces veterans, which takes place at the Plymouth Guildhall on Tuesday 19 July 2016 from 12pm to 8pm.

The fair is aimed at Veterans and serving members of the Armed Forces and their families, and local employers are also encouraged to sign up to take part in the jobs fair.

Councillor Philippa Davey, Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities for Plymouth City Council, said: “We are delighted to be able to host this jobs fair for Veterans in Plymouth. The Plymouth Corporate Covenant Group is a great success and going from strength to strength, with the recent national recognition we received through Alex Polizzi’s ‘Hire Our Heroes’ documentary for BBC2 raising our profile hugely.

“It is vital that we continue to do all we can to support our Veterans as they transition into non-military life – we know the change can be very daunting for people but it’s important that Veterans know that there are opportunities out there, there is life after the armed forces.”

Councillor Pauline Murphy, Armed Forces Champion for Plymouth said: “There’s some fantastic work going on here in Plymouth and we’re really working hard with our partners to promote the Covenant as widely as possible. We hope that lots of Veterans and their families are able to attend this Jobs Fair.”

Heather Ogburn, Senior Leadership Advisor for Plymouth City Council, who coordinates the Covenant for the Council, said: “We are getting more companies joining the Corporate Covenant all the time and employers in Plymouth are very open to using the skills and expertise that we know Veterans have to offer. We would also love to hear from any other local employers who are interested in taking part in the Jobs Fair and joining the Corporate Covenant.”

Employers wishing to register to participate as stall holders with job/work experience opportunities should compete the registration form at www.plymouth.gov.uk/veteransjobsfair

The jobs fair will provide opportunities for employers and potential employees to meet and discuss job opportunities.

There will be focused workshops linked to self-employment; mock interviews and CV writing throughout the day. Watch this space for further details.

The participating employers will be listed on the web page and will be added to as companies register to participate.

In addition, there will be a café/refreshment area and an area where Serving and Veterans' family members can seek advice and support from a range of services including The Royal British Legion; Advice Plymouth; SSAFA; Help for Heroes and others.

Plymouth has received national recognition for its work helping Veterans back into work and was recently featured in the Alex Polizzi documentary ‘Hire Our Heroes’ on BBC2.

More information on the Corporate Covenant is available here.