ForceselectFoundation report launched at Westminster to address military service leaver unemployment

Dec. 8, 2011 - PRLog -- The ForceSelect Foundation has presented a comprehensive report to politicians at Westminster today highlighting the challenges and solutions facing military service leavers in the UK.

Government cutbacks have increased the average rate of service leavers from 24,000 a year to up to potentially 75,000 personnel leaving in the next two years following the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

The ForceSelect Foundation, in partnership with ForceSelect, the UK’s leading recruitment specialist for service leavers, and Employment and Skills Group, specialists in training and skills provision, launched the report at the House of Commons today, led by former Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mike Jackson.

General Sir Mike Jackson said: “In light of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, with an estimated 30,000 incremental personnel set to leave the Armed Forces between now and 2020, careful consideration must be given to the welfare of those who face another challenge – that of adjusting to civilian life. The challenge to us as a society encompasses the planning and provision of support and skills from their first day of service, through re-settlement and beyond, and requires consideration of a broad spectrum of care including training, employment, housing, education, healthcare and family welfare.”

The ForceSelect Foundation report provides evidence-based solutions to some of the serious problems set to affect service leavers over the coming years.

While there is some training available for service personnel to prepare them for civilian life, the report questions whether the training is relevant to the current jobs market and recommends closer links with employers to design job specific training programmes during the transition period.

Housing also continues to be a challenge with the report suggesting that better housing provisions should be made for service leavers which will in turn save the Government money.

The ForceSelect Foundation believes that an improved resettlement process for service leavers will reduce welfare bills, local authority costs and reliance on NHS services.

Brigadier Richard Dennis said: “The ForceSelect Foundation report highlights the fact that Service Leavers have so much to offer society as a whole and after serving our country, they deserve the best possible support to ensure they can continue to make a positive contribution to their communities.”

Research for the report was taken from data from the ForceSelect’s database of over 6,000 Service Leavers; in-depth forums with a wide cross section of ex-MoD personnel; interviews with servicemen and women during their termination period and confidential telephone questionnaires with a sample group of 100 service leavers from Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.

ForceSelect Foundation Report Key Recommendations – Summary

In service
-   Ensure that qualifications are recognised in, and tailored to, the demands of the civilian labour market
-   Provide personal development planning sessions to be referenced and reviewed by civilian workplace parameters
-   Ensure holistic approach to cover all aspects of support including welfare, housing, money management, careers and family issues.
-   Run annual workshops for Service personnel to provide information on current trends in the labour market and growth industries, and on topics such as pensions, social security and housing

Preparing for civilian life
-   Establish partnerships with employers to establish training programmes, career plans and potentially extended work placements
-   Develop individual employability skills to incorporate quality employer-led, market driven training to help leavers make informed decisions about labour market options available to them  
-   Implement mentoring with veterans to share their experience of the resettlement process and offer guidance of the best approach for a successful transition to civilian life
-   Provide comprehensive advice around family, finance, housing and schooling for children every month in the run-up to the end of commission
-   Initiate enhanced individual action plans which include qualifications linked to local labour markets and representative of vacancies available through employer alliance. Re-design the service offering from the Careers Transition Partnership (CTP) to be inclusive of all service leavers based on their need as opposed to length of service

Life after service
-   Utilise some of the estimated 6,000 empty MOD properties across the UK to provide a short-term housing solution for Service Leavers
-   Implement a ‘through the gate’ CTP advisory programme to all Service Leavers to cover advice on benefits available, referral to the Work Programme, housing, money management, local services, GP practices etc, to be available for all Service personnel
-   Continue the mentoring scheme, calling on ex-Service personnel to further support those undergoing the same resettlement challenges as they once did
-   Mandate the Armed Forces Covenant across all Local Authorities to provide advantages such as allocating a percentage of new properties to ex-Servicemen and women and urging Housing Associations to be flexible with their eligibility for homes to make ex-Forces personnel a priority for available homes

The ForceSelect Foundation, which is led by former Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mike Jackson, raises funds from charity initiatives, corporate and individual donations and a percentage of the profits from leading recruitment consultancy and sister company, ForceSelect to support smaller military charities that are struggling for funding.

The ForceSelect Foundation pools all raised funds and encourages applications from smaller service charities. Twice a year the trustees sit to consider the applications and award grants accordingly. For more information or to donate, please visit: www.forceselect.org .

NOTES TO EDITORS

The ForceSelect Foundation is the brainchild of former Army officer Hugh Andrée who, after setting up ForceSelect, a recruitment agency finding employment for Service Leavers, realised that there was a need to put something back into the charities that do so much for our ex-servicemen and women.

Head of the Trustees is former Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mike Jackson and other Trustees include Dame Kelly Holmes MBE, Rebekah Brooks, Sir John Rose and Major General Andrew Gregory.

The Foundation's aim is to support smaller service charities at a time when they are finding survival in the current economic situation incredibly difficult. There are service charities helping veterans from the Second World War through to the current conflict in Afghanistan and many need external assistance to continue their wonderful work.

If you wish to donate, please visit: www.forceselect.org

ForceSelect was set up in 2009 by Hugh Andrée to provide military service leavers with the best and most appropriate career opportunities within UK businesses.

ForceSelect believes that Armed Forces leavers are efficient, reliable, disciplined, and self-motivated candidates who can contribute positively to British society and the workforce.

All ForceSelect staff have served in the military including CEO and former Infantry Officer Hugh Andrée; Director, best-selling author and SAS hero Andy McNab DCM MM; and Non-Executive Director, ForceSelect Foundation chairman and former Chief of General Staff General Sir Michael Jackson GCB CBE DSO DL.

ForceSelect has implemented a mentoring and support programme to provide advice and guidance to individuals having left the Armed Forces, facilitating a seamless transition from Service life into civilian employment.

ForceSelect co-ordinates a national network of mentors with the service offered to every Service Leaver placed in a new job. It covers areas such as accommodation, financial matters, medical matters and the different culture of civilian life.

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