Member Article

The Officers’ Association brings ex-military talent to employers in the North

A charity that helps officers leaving the Services find employment marked the opening of its new office on South Parade, Leeds, last night [Wednesday 8th October] with a launch event for employers in the region.

The Officers’ Association works with the MoD’s Career Transition Partnership and part of their mission is to help officers with their transition from the services into civilian employment.

Former army captain Chris Recchia, lead partner for the Deloitte Military Transition and Talent Programme, spoke at the event, alongside Dominic Fisher, Chairman of The Officers’ Association.

CEO of The Officers’ Association Lee Holloway said:

“There are many talented people leaving the Services with a unique set of qualities that can add huge value to many sectors and organisations. However, the potential this varied skill-set carries can be difficult to convey in transition. It is part of our job to ensure employers have access to these exceptional individuals and can benefit from all they have to offer.”

“Each officer on our books is well-educated, has excellent leadership skills, and many have been in situations where a cool head and decisive action is paramount. The skills they have learnt in the field can be easily transferred to the workplace, making them an asset to any organisation.”

The Officers’ Association works closely with employers helping them to identify roles suitable for former offices and providing tailored services from simple advertising campaigns to assisting them in finding suitable candidates. To date, some of the UK’s leading companies such as Deloitte, Canary Wharf Group and BNY Mellon, all have ex-officers in senior positions.

Head of Talent Brand at Deloitte Liz Coombs says: “We recognise that people with a service background bring exceptional qualities and in many instances, great transferable skills to an organisation. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, very strong project management, plenty of drive and a real commitment to collaborative working are just some of these which will be highly valued by us and many other civilian employers’’.

Lee added: “Recent research from the MoD’s Career Transition Partnership indicated that those who had recruited former officers report very positive experiences, and it is these messages we look to get across when speaking to employers,”

“Our no-cost employer service is unique in that it allows us to promote opportunities to over 5000 service leavers each week, help find suitable candidates and translate military skills and experiences into civilian job requirements.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Elena Dransfield .