Veterans Strategy consultation highlights Further Forces work

The work of the Education and Training Foundation’s (ETF) Further Forces programme has been highlighted in the Government’s newly-published Strategy for our Veterans consultation paper. The consultation was launched alongside the main strategy paper on Thursday 15 November 2018.

It invites comments on themes including community, health and wellbeing, making a home, and employment, education and skills, setting out outcomes that Government envisages will be achieved over the next decade.

Further Forces was the subject of one of just three case studies chosen to feature in the consultation to illustrate work going on to help veterans make a smooth transition to civilian life. The programme, as the consultation paper explained, helps services leavers gain meaningful employment as teachers and trainers in the Further Education Sector where they are valued for their technical expertise.

There are currently around 100 service leavers engaged with the programme and the Department of Education has secured additional resources to expand it by up to a further 100 places.

The consultation was announced in Parliament, with defence minister Tobias Ellwood emphasising to the Commons that it will be only be possible to recruit the next generation of the armed services if they know that they will be looked after. The paper is available on the Government publications website, with the consultation period running until 23:45 on 21 February 2019.

Cerian Ayres, the ETF’s Head of Programme for Further Forces, said:

“Programmes such as Further Forces support resettlement and career transition for services leavers. Potential applicants and FE providers alike need to be encouraged to realise the opportunities that such initiatives afford.

“Further Forces has already established a track record of success, with ex-Air Force, Army and Navy personnel all having successfully founded new careers in technical further education thanks to its support. We are pleased to see Government re-affirm its commitment to the programme by highlighting the work it does in this consultation.”

Further Forces is one of a number of programmes the ETF is undertaking to support sector workforce development. That work sees us collaborating with partners and providers to address the teacher recruitment crisis that exists in the Further Education sector, in accordance with our belief that excellence in technical education and training begins with excellence in leadership and management, and teachers capable of delivering high-quality learning experiences. You can find out more on the Further Forces web page.