What is life like upon discharge from the British army? Is there a way to ensure that the brave service men and women of this country do not become invisible upon returning to civilian life? Is the support from the Ministry of Defense being utilized fully?
Around 20,000 service men and women leave our armed forces every year and each story is different. However, something that they all have in common is that they will be embarking on a new journey, one that is even more daunting than the front line itself: returning to civilian life.
The Career Transition Partnership (CTP) is a resettlement service offered to all British service personnel by the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and Right Management. To date, it has helped over 170,000 individuals with their transition back into civilian life through the use of workshops, courses and vocational training.
The CTP aim to provide advice on all aspects of civilian life. Although these opportunities are readily available to ex-service members, there is a general feeling of dissatisfaction towards the MOD. Ex-Corporal, Scott Eccott said: “I think it's more the MOD ticking boxes than helping lead soldiers into civilian life”. Mr. Eccott explained he felt that although the Career Transition Workshop was initially helpful there was no contact from the team after his discharge. Scott told of how he re-trained as a plumber but, due to his lack of experience felt he was not an ideal employee and went through numerous jobs before rejoining the forces.
Reality detachment is echoed in stories from many ex-military personnel and is one of the main focuses of ForceSelect, a specialist agency launched in 2009 by ex-Infantry Officer Hugh Andrée. Having made the transition himself, he was all too familiar with the uncertainty that service members are confronted with and saw a need for a support system tailored to specific needs.
An ex-Officer, who did not want to be named, said the feeling of alienation does not disappear even in the comfort of your family and friends. “I was lucky and went straight into employment which gave me something to focus on. It’s still a very strange feeling as for 24 years I had served, I was told and directed what to do and then the day you leave your whole routine within your life changes drastically, silly little things like paying the bills, going to your kid’s parent evenings, socialising and talking with people you no longer have much in common with, I found it very hard to adjust”.
The proportion of veterans amongst the homeless population is estimated to have fallen from above 20% in the mid to late 1990s, down to 5% in 2008. But there is still a long way to go to support our ex-troops.
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