‘Speed up careers help for veterans who leave Forces’

The Ministry of Defence’s £100 million scheme to help military personnel find careers after leaving the forces was today criticised as inefficient.

Job cuts, as well as the end of major overseas campaigns, have led to thousands of “thirtysomething” service personnel looking to start afresh.

Right Management, a subsidiary of recruitment giant ManpowerGroup, was handed the lucrative Whitehall contract to continue delivering the Career Transition Partnership. The programme is designed to help personnel make a smooth move from military service to civilian life.

However, critics say improvements, suggested as part of the Veterans’ Transition Review last year, are not being implemented fast enough.

In his follow-up report to the review, Tory peer Lord Ashcroft said “the pace of change was not as brisk” as he had hoped, warning: “A great opportunity has been lost.” Brigadier Andrew Jackson, a former head of Army recruitment, said: “The biggest concern is that the CTP is a one-size-fits-all system.”

The review was launched amid concerns the MoD and the CTP were not doing enough to support those leaving the forces. The review said Early Service Leavers, who have served less than four years, receive only the most basic support. Just 52 per cent said they were in education, training or employment six months after leaving.

Brigadier Jackson runs SaluteMyJob, providing veteran recruitment. He said: “There has been little support for Early Service Leavers. Improved support to this group has been scoped into the MoD’s new CTP contract, which goes live in October. The ESL group will be a critical test of the new contract.”

Bryn Parry, chief executive of Help for Heroes, said: “Many of the veterans we help have never known anything other than military service — they are hugely capable, but there is a real need to give the right support quickly.”

The MoD said: “We know the vast majority of our service personnel go on to success on their return to civilian life, but we recognise there are a small number who struggle.

“For the first time [from October 1] all service leavers, regardless of how long they have served or their reason for discharge, will use the CTP.”