Life beyond the Armed Forces – Fighting the UK Skills Gap

Whether Armed Forces personnel have reached the end of their commission or have been invalided out, the Further Forces Programme provides a new, valued role that is crucial to the future success of the country.

The Further Forces Programme, led by the Education and Training Foundation, offers Armed Forces personnel the support they often need as they transition from a structured, military lifestyle, with a clear mission, to a civilian life, which can lack focus.

Further Forces also offers Service Leavers a way to continue their valuable contribution to the nation, whilst maintaining their identity for example as an Engineer.

The UK faces a drastic need for workers skilled in science, engineering and technology; the Gatsby Charitable Foundation estimates 700,000 additional technicians will be needed to meet employer demand in the decade to 2024.

Ex-Service personnel can translate the skills they have gained in real-world settings, to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and technologists. The Further Forces Programme provides a fully funded training route and every recruit has one-to-one subject specialist mentoring to support their transition to teaching.

Hannah Payne, a Combat Medical Technician in the Army, is currently teaching as a lecturer at Hartpury College:

“I heard about the Further Forces programme whilst researching different career pathways online. The programme offered an extensive training package as well as significant support in securing employment in the Further Education sector. I was also pleased to hear that on-the-job training would be provided and that I would incur no cost as a Service Leaver.”