Forces Employment Charity receives generous funding from the Army Central Fund to continue to provide career support to military families
Thanks to a generous donation from the Army Central Fund, the Forces Employment Charity can continue supporting the military community, via our Families Programme. All monies donated will specifically support our work with spouses and partners of serving Army personnel.
Service life and transition can impact the whole family. The Families Programme supports spouses and partners of still-serving personnel and veterans, including divorced, separated, and bereaved, on their journey into employment.
The Families Programme Advisors are military spouses or were brought up in a military home, so they have a deep and personal understanding of the challenges their clients face. For instance, frequent moves and relatively isolated locations away from close networks, alongside inconsistent education or employer reluctance, can all be unique challenges for military partners, spouses and children of those with a career in the Armed Forces.
These obstacles can often make pursuing a meaningful career that meets needs, skills, and aspirations within geographical reach difficult. A recent survey of military spouses and partners by the Forces Employment Charity revealed that 1 in 5 regard the impact on their career as the hardest thing about being a military partner/ spouse. Furthermore, 20% said they worry about the impact that being from a military family will have on their children.
The Families Programme Advisors provide one-to-one advice and guidance, employability and employment support, including bespoke career and training diagnostics, CV and application assistance, interview techniques, coaching and mentoring, links to local businesses and an extensive database of nationwide employers.
Alistair Halliday, Chief Executive of the Forces Employment Charity, says,
“Thanks to our Families Programme, we have seen so many life-changing outcomes. Knowing we have the incredibly generous support of the Army Central Fund means we can continue this crucial work for military families.”
Caroline Crewe-Read, Director of the Army Central Fund, adds,
“We are delighted to award this first-time grant to the Forces Employment Charity to support their work with spouses and partners of serving Army personnel through their Families Programme. We hope that by improving the skills and employability of those who are affected by frequent relocations, unpredictable work schedules and issues of childcare affordability when separated from family and friends, this will create a more positive lived experience of being in service.”
Ruth Cordingley registered with the Families Programme to receive employment support while her husband served in the Army. She comments,
“My Advisor was the voice in my head, cheering me on. Knowing someone believed in me was amazing. Her practical help – she took what I had on my CV and put it into a format that highlighted all the best bits about me – was incredible and valuable.”
For more information, visit www.forcesemployment.org.uk
