Firms urged to sign up for military network

A virtual career expo is being run by the network from May to December to help connect trained and highly skilled workers from the Armed Forces who looking for jobs with employers across the UK.

Businesses are invited to sign up to the free expo and register their live vacancies in a bid to attract former military talent .

Each business will be able to highlight up to three job vacancies at any one time and an allocated account manager will log regular updates through the dedicated portal.

Two companies who have first-hand experience of recruiting former service personnel are Black Country based Vacuum and Atmosphere Services and Lord Combustion Services.

VAS in Oldbury employs 31 and provides furnace services for a range of clients including Mercedes, GE Power, Moog, and Collins Aerospace, and having found it increasingly difficult to locate, recruit and retain service engineers has reached out to a number of highly skilled former armed forces personnel.

Managing director at VAS, Mike Long, said: “We took a risk taking our first ex-forces recruit back in February 2018, but to be honest it was one of the best business decisions we have ever made. Since then, we have employed further ex-service personnel.

“Each and every one of them has been trained to an incredibly high standard, with unique service, engineering and transferrable skills and a great work ethic. They are eager to learn, are excellent at taking instructions and provide a great asset to our business.”

Stuart Smith, managing director of Oldbury-based Lord Combustion Services, who signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2017, said: “We have provided work placements and employment opportunities to service leavers, supporting their training programmes, and assisting with their transition into civilian life.

“As a business we are committed to supporting the Covenant and have recognised the excellent work ethic and transferrable skills that service leavers have, and more often than not have offered them full time positions within our team.”

The Virtual Career Expo launchess on May 6 and will also host two live events when recruiters will be able to hold conversations with candidates who are interested in their organisation, meanwhile the platform itself will serve as a hub of information providing candidates with the support to find a role and prepare for interviews, as well as develop skills to help them secure their next role.

For further information and to sign up to the expo visit armedforcescareersexpo.co.uk