Employment, Training and Course Funding

REGULAR FORCES EMPLOYMENT ASSOCIATION

We provide life-long, life-changing support, jobs and training opportunities to service leavers, reservists, veterans and their families.

Our cause

We exist to provide life-long, life changing support, jobs and training opportunities to service leavers and veterans, irrespective of circumstances, rank, length of service, or reason for leaving.

One Million Working Age Veterans

We provide employability and employment support to working age veterans in the UK.
Current estimates are that one million working age veterans live in the UK. We know that unemployment rates for working age veterans are higher than for civilians.

We support veterans through life including those who have served for a short time and are in the 18-24-year-old age range, through to older veterans. The over 50’s are increasingly recognised as facing greater challenges in finding employment.

Early Intervention and for those most in need

Our work includes early intervention, supporting veterans to find a new job, often when they have not succeeded in finding jobs through general civilian support. We prevent working age veterans from becoming long-term unemployed so that they can sustain an income and provide a stable life for themselves and their families.

Programmes

  • RFEA EX FORCES PROGRAMME
  • RFEA FAMILIES PROGRAMME
  • CAREER TRANSITION PARTNERSHIP
  • MILITARY WOMEN PROGRAMME
  • CTP FUTURE HORIZONS
  • CTP ASSIST
  • PROJECT NOVA
  • WWTW EMPLOYMENT
  • BRIDGING THE GAP
  • RAF BENEVOLENT FUND WELLBEING AND EMPLOYMENT
    FORCES FOR LONDON

Central Support Team on 0121 262 3058
Online Registration: https://www.rfea.org.uk/rfea-contact/
Website: https://www.rfea.org.uk/

CAREER TRANSITION PARTNERSHIP

The Career Transition Partnership (CTP) is a partnering agreement between the Ministry of Defence and Right Management Ltd, who are global career development and outplacement specialists and part of the ManpowerGroup.

The CTP provides resettlement services for those leaving the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and Marines. Regardless of time served, all members of the Armed Forces can benefit from CTP support when leaving Service.

We also operate as an intermediary service for employers wishing to hire Service leavers.

Service leavers – how the CTP helps you

Depending on length of service, we offer free resettlement services to all ranks of the UK Armed Forces, including the Navy & Royal Marines, British Army and Royal Air Force – our aim is to help you make the transition as smooth as possible.

We also operate as an intermediary service for employers wishing to hire Service leavers.

With effect from 1st August 2020, Tri-Service Resettlement Policy has been changed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), to allow all Service leavers regardless of reason for discharge to have access to the full resettlement entitlements they are eligible to receive. Service leavers who have served either 4-6 years or 6+ years by their date of discharge, will have access to
their respective resettlement entitlement.

The categories for eligibility below are to provide information on what is available:

  • 6 or more years – Core Programme
  • 4 to 6 years – Employment Support Programme
  • Less than 4 years – CTP Future Horizons
  • Medical Discharge – Core Programme
  • Wounded Injured & Sick (WIS) – Recovery Pathway / CTP Assist / Employment Support

Resettlement Guides

The Resettlement Guides include useful reference documents, articles for further reading and comprehensive listings of links to external sites relevant to each topic.

Website: https://www.modctp.co.uk/home

ENHANCED LEARNING CREDITS

The MOD’s Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme (ELC) promotes lifelong learning amongst members of the Armed Forces. The scheme provides financial support in the form of a single up-front payment in each of a maximum of three separate financial years.

You are reminded that ELC funding is only available for pursuit of higher level learning i.e. for courses that result in a nationally recognised qualification at Level three or above on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (England, Northern Ireland and Wales), a Level six or above on the
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) or, if pursued overseas, an approved international equivalent qualification with an approved learning provider.

  • There are several stages to the ELC process. Full information is set out in Joint Service
    Publications (JSP) 822
  • You must have already been registered to become a Scheme Member and have accrued a sufficient amount of service before you can submit a claim. If you have left the forces contact ELCAS as they can make the appropriate checks.
  • Have a look at Service Personnel Claiming ELC or Service Leaver Claiming ELC respectively as these pages will tell you how to make your claim.
  • Finally you must complete your Course Evaluation via the Members Area

Tel: 0845 3005179
Email: elcas@m-assessment.com
Website: www.enhancedlearningcredits.com

PATHFINDER MAGAZINE

Pathfinder International magazine has been distributed by the Ministry of Defence to personnel leaving the Armed Forces each and every month since 1991 and is a vital source of information for resettling servicemen and women.

Each month Pathfinder works closely with lead industry and trade bodies to showcase careers in a wide range of sectors and provides Service Leavers with all the information they need in order to make informed choices about the civilian career path that is right for them.

Each month, 25,000 copies of Pathfinder are packaged, labelled and dispatched by the MoD’s distribution hub in Portsmouth and sent out to military bases across the world. In addition to the website, Pathfinder also sends out two weekly e-newsletters to our readers – these feature jobs, news, courses and have advertising and sponsorship opportunities.

Tel: 0191 442 0198
Email: pathfinder@balticpublications.co.uk
Website: http://pathfinderinternational.co.uk/

QUEST

QUEST – established for almost two decades as the go-to resettlement guide to careers and training opportunities for those leaving HM Armed Forces – now also incorporates COURSES 4 FORCES, its sister publication providing in-depth information on courses and funding for those still serving. Published monthly, QUEST brings readers the best of both worlds – so, whether they are
still in uniform or have already started preparing for life ‘on the outside’, it’s the only guide they’ll need to funding, courses, training, careers and transition.

Whether you’re still in uniform or have already started to prepare for life ‘outside’, QUEST – is your go-to guide to support you along your Forces journey. From your education options while serving, right up to resettlement and into civvy street, it’s the only guide you’ll need to find Funding Options, Training Courses, Enhanced Learning Credits Courses, University Courses, Careers and Transition Advice.

Online contact: https://www.questonline.co.uk/contact
Email us at info@questonline.co.uk
Website: https://www.questonline.co.uk/

EASY RESETTLEMENT MAGAZINE

Easy Resettlement magazine was formed for the sole purpose of giving service leavers the assistance, help, support and advice they required when making the transition back to civilian life. The Easy Resettlement team are either Ex-forces themselves or have been working in the forces market due to family members currently serving. This makes us fully aware of the trials and tribulations that occur when leaving service and becoming a civilian.

Our main aim is to make the process as easy as possible by offering advice from organisations such as elcas and the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) about your entitlements.

The magazines are distributed free of charge to ALL service leavers focusing not only on the Army but also the Navy, RAF and Royal Marines. We cover all topics on resettlement and believe our magazine will benefit you in your resettlement regardless of your sex, age or rank.

Website: http://www.easyresettlement.com/

 

BRITISH FORCES RESETTLEMENT SERVICES

British Forces Resettlement Services (BFRS) is a Social Enterprise created to help the Armed Forces Community with their transition into civilian life.

We know that your resettlement is more than just the brief time around you leaving the services, and that it isn’t just personnel from the regular forces who are affected. This is why our services are open to Service Leavers, reserve forces, Veterans, civilian MOD employees, as well as partners and families, and it doesn’t matter how long or how long ago you served

We continue to host successful National Employment & Careers Fairs, Company Recruitment Days across the country and various online packages. Our aim is to continuously introduce the Armed Forces Community to companies and try to ensure they are fully aware of the benefits of employing from this community.

Tel: 02476 939931
Email: info@bfrss.org.uk
Website: www.bfrss.org.uk

JobOppo

BUILT BY EX-MILITARY, FOR EX-MILITARY

It doesn’t matter whether you left yesterday or 20 years ago, after serving 2 days or 22 years – JobOppO is here to help YOU!

We’ve been where you are now. We know first-hand that the transition from ‘Military life to Civilian life’ is often not an easy one. The thought of settling into a 9-5 after serving our country was daunting, to say the least. But, it didn’t have to be that way – and that’s why our founder set up JobOppO.

Partnering with global brands and SMEs, JobOppO grew from an idea into a thriving, online platform which exclusively supports the Ex-Military community in the UK. We connect the Ex-Military community to jobs across a range of sectors in the UK – with one big difference. Every single job we list on our platform is exclusively for people like YOU. (JobOppo,2021)

Email: info@joboppo.co.uk
Website: https://www.joboppo.co.uk/
Telephone: 0333 242 3857
JobOppo (Source: JobOppo,2021)

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION INDUSTRIES (Lifeworks)

What is LifeWorks?

A, 4 – 5 day course tailored specifically towards helping ex-Forces personnel secure the future they want.

Who is it for?

Anyone who has served in the British Armed Forces.

How much does it cost?

Nothing to you. To date the course has been funded by Charitable Trusts and Foundations, Armed Forces Charities and Covenant Funding

DISCOVER NEW OPPORTUNITIES

We’ll help you identify your strengths as well as potential career or training opportunities.

DEVELOP YOUR EMPLOYMENT SKILLS

From job searching to CV writing, we’ll help you develop the skills you need.

BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE

We’ll help you manage the impact of a change in situation, increasing your confidence and motivation.

Tel: 0800 319 6844
Email: lifeworks@rbli.co.uk
Website: https://www.wearelifeworks.org.uk/ex-forces/

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION INDUSTRIES (Lifeworks Families)

What is LifeWorks Families?

A fully funded support service to help military spouses and partners get the job they want.

Who is it for?

It’s available to all spouses and partners of any serving (or recently discharged) member of the British Armed Forces, including Reserves.

How much does it cost?

It’s completely free. The course is fully funded by Armed Forces charities.

Tel: 0800 319 6844
Email: lifeworks@rbli.co.uk
Website: https://www.wearelifeworks.org.uk/families/

X FORCES ENTERPRISES

X-Forces Enterprise is now an award-winning community interest company that has supported 1282 people from the Armed Forces community into entrepreneurship and lent over £12.5million in seed funding. X-Forces’ training has been developed to give delegates the knowledge, understanding and enterprise skills to be able to decide if they want to pursue self-employment, and what their unique business journey look will like. X-Forces runs a variety of training courses, either standard or configured to particular beneficiary needs. All of our courses are supported by strategic partners to ensure that delivery is free of charge to the beneficiary.

Start Up Loans: X-Forces Enterprise is an official delivery partner of the Start Up Loans Company, a government backed scheme which offers low interest start-up loans to individuals over the age of 18 who have a viable business idea but no access to traditional finance.

Government Grants: The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has created a search tool which provides a list of finance and available support to businesses in the UK on the Gov.UK website.

Tel: 0800 3689533
Email: info@x-forces.com
Web: https://www.x-forces.com/

NHS STEP INTO HEALTH PROGRAMME

Developed in conjunction with The Royal Foundation and Walking With The Wounded, Step into Health provides a dedicated pathway for the Armed Forces community to access the numerous career opportunities available in the NHS.
The Step into Health Programme has been created because the NHS recognises the transferable skills and cultural values that Armed Forces personnel develop when serving, and how they are compatible with those required within NHS roles. Step into Health is open to all service leavers, veterans and their families. It is an incredible opportunity in which employers are working with the Armed Forces community to provide career and development opportunities within the NHS.

Available dates and locations: https://www.militarystepintohealth.nhs.uk/available-dates-locations/

Access the programme: https://www.militarystepintohealth.nhs.uk/contact-us/

For enquiries from employers within the NHS or the media, please contact our team at armedforces@nhsemployers.org for further information