Leaving the forces can be extremely daunting, particularly if you’ve worked in the forces for the whole of your career. However, the skills gained in the forces can be really valuable and sought after in the civilian job market. Some people might need help finding jobs their skills might be suited to in the civilian sector while others might want to retrain to have a new vocation.
The resettlement programme is designed to help service personnel successfully enter the civilian job market
Resettlement normally starts two years before an individual is due to leave the armed forces and continues for up to two years after they have left. This period may be extended for those suffering from illness or injury.
The Resettlement programme
The Resettlement programme has 3 stages:
- You firstly need to make contact with a Resettlement Information Staff Officer. They will kick start your journey by providing you with information about what help is available, giving you administrative support and directing you to where you need to go to access the services that are available.
- You’ll then need to meet with a Service Resettlement Adviser who will give you advice about your options and guidance about the resettlement package which will best suit you according to the employment and vocational needs you’ve identified.
- Tri-service support is then provided by the Career Transition Partnership (CTP).
Service leavers have access to a range of vocational training courses delivered at the CTP’s Resettlement Training Centre in Aldershot and in CTP centres across the UK.
The course falls into 4 broad categories:
- Management
- Electrical engineering
- Building trades
- IT
You can also access courses which are designed to teach life skills for those thinking of retiring or being self-employed.
You can find details of what is available and how you will be supported on the CTP website.
The resettlement programme aim is to make you feel supported as you move from forces life into civilian life, to ensure that you have the skills you need to market yourself in the private sector (even if that means communicating forces gained skills in different language for the civilian jobs sector) and for you to have the means to be independent and contribute successfully to civilian life, as you have done in the forces.
