Plymouth’s Armed Forces Covenant is launching a new theme group to help enable better access to local employment, skills and training opportunities for military service leavers, working-age veterans, military family spouses, partners and young people.
Last year, the Council renewed its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.
The Armed Forces Covenant is a nationwide agreement between the armed forces community, the nation and the government.
One of the commitments from signing the Covenant, is to establish better job and training opportunities for members of the Armed Forces community.
Led by Plymouth City Council’s Skills Launchpad Plymouth team, the representatives of the group are:
- Plymouth’s Veterans and Families Hub
- Forces Employment Charity
- Career Transition Partnership
- The Royal Marines Charity
- Department for Work and Pensions.
With strong involvement from local employers who are signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant including University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Babcock, Livewell Southwest, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Wolferstans Solicitors and Plymouth City Bus.
A launch event was held today to bring together a key group of people who will be involved in this work and to raise the profile of the Armed Forces Covenant with the local business community.
Deputy Lord Mayor and Armed Forces Champion, Councillor Pauline Murphy, said:
“Working in city-wide partnership, we want to recognise, communicate and seek to reduce the challenges faced by those within the Armed Forces community.
"As a proud military city, I am delighted that we are launching Plymouth’s new vision for enabling better access to local employment and future careers. We are pro-actively engaging with our business community to increase commitment for the Armed Forces Covenant and want to create a win-win to help solve recruitment challenges in the city as we promote the highly transferrable skills and talent of our military community.
“We are excited to support this joined up approach which builds on the Council’s renewal last year and strong commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant."
Speaking at the launch event, Darryl Newman, Nursing and Clinical Professions Recruitment Lead and Armed Forces Champion at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust said:
"I’m proud to be chairing the Armed Forces Future Careers and Employers Group to support our city’s Armed Forces Community.
“The Armed Forces Future Careers and Employers Group will bring together employers across the city to identify, support and grow employment for the Armed Forces Community across Plymouth, whilst sharing best practice.”
Representing the Royal Navy, Andrew McConochie, Lieutenant Commander said:
“With Plymouth being home to the largest naval base in Western Europe with the highest concentration of veterans in England, this new coordinated approach will provide significant value to serving personnel in planning their local employment and future career transitions, along with valuable support for their families, helping to both attract and retain talent in the city.”
Luke Pollard MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport shared his best wishes for a successful launch of the new theme group. He said: “I am so proud of my home city of Plymouth for stepping up to enhance localised employment and training support for our valued Armed Forces community. By fostering this new collaboration between local, regional and national service providers, and building better awareness of the increasing investment and growth in jobs and career pathways available in the city, we can create a brighter future.
“We greatly appreciate the businesses who have already pledged their support for the Armed Forces Covenant, and I’d encourage more Plymouth organisations to become part of the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme so that we can achieve even more positive outcomes together.”
To find out more and to get involved, email SkillsLaunchpad@plymouth.gov.uk