RFEA – The Forces Employment Charity will be marking this year’s Armed Forces Week with the launch of ‘Careers Sitrep’, a new regular live stream event hosted by the charity to help boost employability for veterans and their families.
The inaugural ‘Careers Sitrep’ will take place at 2.30pm on Friday 25th June and will be streamed across a number of social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.
The event is expected to last approximately one hour and will see RFEA’s Chief Executive, Commodore Alistair Halliday, hosting an open and honest ‘fireside chat’ style discussion between him and a range of guests, all of whom have served in the Armed Forces.
This month’s Career Sitrep will focus on the importance of veterans in the NHS, with guests including former RFEA clients Deborah Poneskis (Programme lead for NHS Step Into Health) and Jim Holland (Urgent Care Assistant for the Welsh Ambulance Service), as well as Annette Berry (RFEA Employment Advisor), who will offer their unique insight into:
- Joining ‘civvy street’
- Key attributes of veterans and their importance in the civilian workforce
- The value of veterans in the NHS
- Top tips for job seekers
The live stream Careers Sitrep series will take place monthly and will feature a wealth of special guests and topics, all designed to help veterans and their families find support to further their careers.
Careers Sitrep host and RFEA Chief Executive, Alistair Halliday, comments: “The last 12 months have been really challenging for a lot of people and the ex-Forces community is no exception. We thought it was important to mark Armed Forces Week with something positive that recognises the value and skills of veterans, and it seemed the obvious choice to focus our first Careers Sitrep on our wonderful NHS and the employment opportunities it offers. We hope that this first session, and the many other sessions to follow, will help inspire others to find inspiration and support to take their next step on the career ladder.”
Deborah Poneskis, Programme lead for NHS Step Into Health, adds: “Having reached the rank of Colonel in the British Army, I have witnessed first-hand the highly transferable skills that those who have served in the Armed Forces have to offer. I have also been lucky enough to have benefitted from the incredible support offered by one of RFEA’s many programmes – the Military Women Programme – to help me further my civilian career. I am looking forward to sharing my experiences and hoping to encourage others to look into the many types of help and support that are out there to ensure ex-Servicemen and women can secure meaningful and sustainable careers in their civilian life. Taking part in this event heralds the ever-growing relationship between RFEA and Step into Health.”
The Step into Health programme supports members of the Armed Forces Community to gain employment in the NHS. NHS organisations pledge to commit to making their recruitment processes more forces-friendly and to offering work placements and insight days. The Step into Health programme highlights the transferable skills and values which members of the Armed Forces community can bring to the NHS.
For more information visit www.rfea.org.uk/careerssitrep