Issued by: Office for Veterans' Affairs

Thousands of veterans and their family members across the UK will have access to enhanced career support thanks to government plans to expand Op ASCEND.

• Government to expand UK-wide career support for the armed forces community, ensuring support for all veterans, regardless of when they left service

• Careers advice service Op ASCEND offer to include broader range of job support for veterans, helping more into employment and boosting growth under this government’s Plan for Change

• Service will work with industry bodies to make sure businesses are set up to make the most of the talents veterans have to offer, showing how the government is renewing the contract with those who serve and have served

Thousands of veterans and their family members across the UK will have access to enhanced career support thanks to government plans to expand Op ASCEND. The free service has so far equipped 3,000 veterans and family members with the tools to make their next career move.

When jobseekers sign up to Op ASCEND for employment advice, specialist-trained advisors can support with:

• CV writing and interview preparation

• advice on entering new sectors such as energy, data and digital, telecommunications and construction

• tips on how to navigate recruitment schemes run by veteran-friendly employers

• access to employment fairs

• advice on retraining or setting up a business

The changes underline the government’s commitment to renewing the contract with those who serve and have served, and will help boost economic growth by helping more veterans into employment.

The government is committed to improving services and maximising the impact of every penny spent under its Plan for Change, which the improvements will help deliver on.

Speaking today at an audience of industry leaders and veterans at Mission Community’s annual National Transition Event in Silverstone, Veterans Minister Alistair Carns announced plans to expand the support available under Op ASCEND, which is run by the Forces Employment Charity (FEC). The service will align more closely with the MOD’s official resettlement programme – the Career Transition Partnership (CTP).

Minister for Veterans and People, Alistair Carns DSO OBE MC MP said:

"This government is committed to renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve and have served.

"Op ASCEND is a natural extension to the government’s resettlement scheme, enabling veterans and their families to further maximise their potential and take their careers to the next level.

"This is about delivering a clear, easily accessible offering for veterans. From the time they join, to the time they leave service and beyond, veterans will be empowered to succeed, whether that be in protection of our nation, or through meaningful careers which maintain and develop their skills."

For those just leaving the forces, there is a range of transition and resettlement support available through the CTP. For those who left service more than 2 years ago and are looking for a new job or to progress within their career, Op ASCEND is available to them. This could include provision for those veterans looking to set up their own business or hone their enterprise and entrepreneurial skills.

Sam, a British Army veteran who recently secured a role as a physical oil trading contracts analyst in the energy industry thanks to Op ASCEND, said:

"I found Op ASCEND online, and was assigned a mentor to help me navigate the process. There’s the intangible side of the service - knowing there’s people around that care, are interested and want to see you succeed. Knowing you can connect with an advisor, write to them or call them up if you’re having problems and get some advice. Then there’s the tangible impact of the employment events – they’re actionable, you can go ahead and do something with it."

As well as offering career advice to the armed forces community, Op ASCEND has worked with over 300 businesses to date, helping them understand the commercial benefits of hiring veterans. The service encourages employers to:

• review their work in recruiting, progressing and retaining talent from the armed forces and their families

• run employment events to connect job-seeking members of the military community with job opportunities

• expand or create new military pathways to help veterans with their transition and keep them connected to those with similar backgrounds

Ian Fortune, Head of Pathways, Centrica, said:

"Working with the Forces Employment Charity through the delivery of Op ASCEND has enabled high-calibre service leavers and the wider military family to bring their significant talent and skillsets into our organisation with confidence. With fantastic Pathways events such as Women Into Employment, we have been bringing diversity of thought, background and experience into our company and with it, fresh perspectives and thinking that is helping to energise a greener, fairer, future."

Op ASCEND is being run alongside a veteran industry engagement programme, both backed by £2.1 million of government funding. Run by service charity Mission Community, the programme works with industry bodies - such as the Society of Motor Manufacturing and Traders - to drive practical, cultural and behavioural change within their sectors. Through this partnership with business, the government will help ensure that the value veterans bring to UK businesses is fully recognised, and that industries make the most of the talents they have to offer.

Notes to editors:

Employers, veterans and their families across the UK can sign up to Op ASCEND at https://careersafterservice.campaign.gov.uk

Op ASCEND succeeds and enhances the Op PROSPER service

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