Defence minister hails partnership approach to wounded vets’ careers service
12 June 2013
Defence personnel, welfare and veterans minister Mark Francois says that a new post-military careers service for injured and sick Armed Forces personnel will be a success thanks to its “partnership approach” with “leading service charities”.
Wed, 13 Jun 2013Defence personnel, welfare and veterans minister Mark Francois says that a new post-military careers service for injured and sick Armed Forces personnel will be a success thanks to its “partnership approach” with “leading service charities”.
Francois was speaking at yesterday’s launch of the Recovery Career Services (RCS), an event attended by Recruiter, which also marked full operational status of the Defence Recovery Capability (DRC). This is a broader service to aid the rehabilitation of those wounded or becoming ill in service, which encompasses RCS.
Charities include Help for Heroes, the Royal British Legion, and as reported yesterday, Recruiter charity of choice 2013-14 SoldierOn!. SoldierOn! founder Nicholas Harrison says the charity “looks forward to developing our partnership with the DRC”.
Francois said: “As we prepare to move forward, we should remember the reason for our success so far [in previous initiatives of this nature] – it’s a partnership approach, and it works.”
A major tenet of the RCS is the cohort of 19 full-time and one part-time specialist employment consultants based across the country, who will provide support to those looking to develop their post-forces career.
These consultants will guide those service people in looking through opportunities, ranging from volunteering to full-time employment, available on the newly-launched web portal recoverycareerservices.org.uk, which can also direct people towards SoldierOn!. Those using the RCS retain the status of serving personnel, being paid by and receiving the benefits of being part of the Armed Forces.
Harrison says: “We look forward to developing our partnership with the DRC, and sharing the knowledge and experience that we have gained over the last five years to add value to this wonderful cause.
“At the same time we will continue to support those veterans who have already been medically discharged.”
Andrew Gregory, the chief of defence personnel, says that RCS users may be directed back towards roles within the military, perhaps further from the frontline than previously, if appropriate.
“But you’ve got to be realistic,” Gregory says. “The roles in the military may be more limited to them than previously and they’ve got to understand that; their expectations have got to be managed.”
In addition, the need to have people fit to deploy is the key requirement for the Armed Forces, whose numbers are shrinking. (For more on how this changes requirements for firms employing military reservists, see p7 of the new edition of Recruiter, out this week.)
An MoD spokesperson tells Recruiter it cannot say how many people will go through RCS, saying: “It’s hard to say because people are at different stages of recovery.” However, with 900 forces personnel currently going through DRC, the spokesperson adds: “I would imagine that not all of them, but in the hundreds, will be exposed to the RCS.”
Francois was speaking at yesterday’s launch of the Recovery Career Services (RCS), an event attended by Recruiter, which also marked full operational status of the Defence Recovery Capability (DRC). This is a broader service to aid the rehabilitation of those wounded or becoming ill in service, which encompasses RCS.
Charities include Help for Heroes, the Royal British Legion, and as reported yesterday, Recruiter charity of choice 2013-14 SoldierOn!. SoldierOn! founder Nicholas Harrison says the charity “looks forward to developing our partnership with the DRC”.
Francois said: “As we prepare to move forward, we should remember the reason for our success so far [in previous initiatives of this nature] – it’s a partnership approach, and it works.”
A major tenet of the RCS is the cohort of 19 full-time and one part-time specialist employment consultants based across the country, who will provide support to those looking to develop their post-forces career.
These consultants will guide those service people in looking through opportunities, ranging from volunteering to full-time employment, available on the newly-launched web portal recoverycareerservices.org.uk, which can also direct people towards SoldierOn!. Those using the RCS retain the status of serving personnel, being paid by and receiving the benefits of being part of the Armed Forces.
Harrison says: “We look forward to developing our partnership with the DRC, and sharing the knowledge and experience that we have gained over the last five years to add value to this wonderful cause.
“At the same time we will continue to support those veterans who have already been medically discharged.”
Andrew Gregory, the chief of defence personnel, says that RCS users may be directed back towards roles within the military, perhaps further from the frontline than previously, if appropriate.
“But you’ve got to be realistic,” Gregory says. “The roles in the military may be more limited to them than previously and they’ve got to understand that; their expectations have got to be managed.”
In addition, the need to have people fit to deploy is the key requirement for the Armed Forces, whose numbers are shrinking. (For more on how this changes requirements for firms employing military reservists, see p7 of the new edition of Recruiter, out this week.)
An MoD spokesperson tells Recruiter it cannot say how many people will go through RCS, saying: “It’s hard to say because people are at different stages of recovery.” However, with 900 forces personnel currently going through DRC, the spokesperson adds: “I would imagine that not all of them, but in the hundreds, will be exposed to the RCS.”
