Speaking about why the scheme matters, Minister for Veterans and People, Calvin
Bailey MBE MP said:
"Veterans leave the armed forces with skills, experience and a work ethic that
employers across the country are looking for.
"The challenge is often making sure those skills are recognised and creating a clear
route into civilian careers. That's exactly what this programme is doing, helping
veterans move into good jobs while supporting an industry that needs skilled people.
"Having made the transition from military service myself, I know how important these
opportunities can be. This is a practical example of how we can back veterans to
succeed long after they leave uniform."
The training is being delivered by the Places for London skills academy, working together
with two partners: The Skills Centre and L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage.
If this first pilot group is successful, the plan is to help up to 60 veterans in total during the
programme's first year.
Building growth and opportunities
Veterans leave the armed forces with brilliant skills: leadership, teamwork, discipline and
often hands-on experience of engineering or logistics. But it is not always easy for employers
to see how those skills fit into civilian jobs.
At the same time, the construction industry needs more skilled workers. Experts think the UK
will need around 41,200 extra construction workers every year up to 2030.
This programme aims to connect those two things, helping veterans find good, lasting
careers, while helping the construction industry fill its skills gap.
The scheme also delivers against the Defence Housing strategy, a £9.2 billion government
plan to improve homes for military families and build more homes, with veterans and Forces
families given priority for some of the new properties built on surplus defence land.
David Brewer, Chief Executive of the Defence Housing Service, said:
“Whilst delivering on the promises of the Defence Housing strategy, we are taking a
truly forces first approach to create real opportunities for veterans and employers,
which have the potential to lead to lasting careers in the construction industry.”
Joining together to support veterans
This new programme is the result of joined-up working between the Defence Infrastructure
Organisation (DIO) and Places for London, a property company owned by Transport for
London. It recognises the contribution veterans can make to economic growth and the
resilience of the UK.
In collaboration with the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) and Career Transition Partnership
(CTP), the programme sits alongside existing support and advice to help people move into
new careers as they leave the armed forces. This includes Op ASCEND, which offers free
careers advice to veterans for the rest of their working lives.
Laura Miller, Head of Skills and Growth at Places for London, said:
“Many veterans do not realise the range of opportunities available or how the skills
they have developed during their military careers could open doors to something
new.
“Building Beyond Service aims to build on existing support, with us bringing together
the Ministry of Defence, employers and training providers to create new pathways
into the industry.
“As one of London’s major developers, Places for London is in a unique position to
bring industry partners together and turn that collaboration into real opportunities.
Our first cohort of veterans is just the beginning. Our ambition is to build a
programme that opens doors across the built environment, supports long-term career
progression and helps develop the skilled workforce London needs.”
Next steps
This first group of veterans will trial the programme, to test what works best – covering how
to recruit people, recognise their existing skills, and support them into stable, long-term
careers in construction. The lessons learned will help shape how the programme grows in
the future.
More information
To find out more about ‘Building Beyond Service’ and future opportunities contact The Skills
Centre. People interested in future courses can also use this route to register their interest.