As signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, we are committed to supporting service leavers and veterans.
Around 14,000 people leave the Armed Forces each year. However, many service leavers and veterans are not aware of the opportunities available to them – particularly in construction, where their skills in teamwork, punctuality and leadership are highly valuable.
There is a strong military presence in the South West of the UK, with our Wales & the West region working closely with the Royal Marines charity and joining the BuildForce Alliance.
This is a collaborative, industry-led programme that aims to enable service leavers and veterans to gain employment in the construction industry. Our role is to provide industry advice, mentoring and work placements to their candidates.
As part of the programme, in 2018 and 2019 we attended the Armed Forces Resettlement and Careers Fair in Lympstone, as well as the Armed Forces Insight Day in Exeter, speaking to over 100 service leavers about career opportunities in the industry.
We also facilitated two work experience placements for two former Royal Marines, who were interested in careers in construction, whilst building the new Police Station at Middlemoor.
On the placements, the candidates covered a range of subjects, including health & safety, supply chain coordination, commercial management, planning and programming, and much more.
The site team were impressed with the mindset, work ethic and skills the two candidates showed while on site. One of the candidates, Nick has since started a Degree Apprenticeship in Civil Engineering.
“I just wanted to thank everyone involved in my work placement last week; I was made to feel welcome by all at Willmott Dixon. It was an invaluable experience that will help me make important decisions about my future,” Nick Whitaker, Former Royal Marine.
