·It is the first project of its kind, combining the knowledge and expertise of a recruitment company with the Regimental system, to help Service personnel transition to civi street.
·The project complements CTP.
·Over 250 Riflemen have registered since Jan.
·CV workshops have been well received and will continue to run.
·The project has helped a number of Riflemen find a job on leaving the Army.
·There is growing awareness in business of what service personnel and our Riflemen offer their companies.
Background. The Omega-Rifles project is the first of its kind, where the knowledge and expertise of a recruitment company is combined with the strengths of the Army’s Regimental system to help service personnel transition to civilian life. It is designed to complement the MOD’s CTP at a time when the Army and the Regiment are losing a large number of personnel.
The project offers a job placement service, where Riflemen’ skills and experience are matched to current business manpower requirements. It also offers jobsearch workshops, which build on the CTW, allowing Riflemen to access up to date, commercially focussed CV writing advice and tips at a small cost.
The project has been running since the end of Jan 12. The purpose of this e-mail is to update all stakeholders on the project’s progress and the way forward.
Unit briefs. I am in Paderborn on Tue 25 Sep briefing CO 5 RIFLES, his comd tm and service leavers. This completes the unit brief programme.
Workshops. A number of workshops have been delivered in Rifles locations. They have been very well received. They build on the CTW, helping Riflemen translate their knowledge, experience and skills into a language employers and recruiters understand. It is generally understood that our guys are reliable and well presented, but what is less well understood is their ability to manage people, work under extreme pressure, think on their feet, deliver creative solutions to complex problems and make decisions independently.
The workshops will continue to be delivered in Rifles locations in the short term, whilst I work to identify alternative locations. I will contact 1 and 3 RIFLES to arrange suitable dates. Attendance is an individual decision. This is a high class service delivered at an extremely competitive price, which is designed to prevent our Riflemen spending a lot of money on follow up CV advice.
I will consult with RCMOs and county offices as I work towards formalising the workshop prog; details to follow
Jobs. The project has placed a number of Riflemen with more in the system going for interview. Roles have ranged from warehouse manager to tech maintenance specialist. The project’s first placement helped a Rifleman, unemployed for 12 months and struggling to find a way forward, get a job with British Energy; he is now responsible for maintaining the security cameras at nuclear power plants across the UK. He has been with the company for 2 months and is enjoying both the role and the regular wage.
The website is in the process of being rebuilt, and will include a dedicated Rifles jobs board. This will only be accessible to Riflemen who have registered with the project.
·New opportunities. The project is currently focussing on the retail, construction and distribution sectors, as well as project management:
·Construction.
oA framework agreement has been put in place with a large construction company for general labourers, plant operators, carpenters and electricians. The roles are well paid with general labourers receiving £7.50 per hour (approx £17.5K pa) and plant ops £10.50 ph (£24K pa).
oThere are a number of construction projects about to start which will require general labourers and plant operators; if Riflemen are looking for an additional resettlement course a telehandler, 360’ digger or dumper truck licence is likely to be v useful in the near future
·Distribution. Omega are working to provide personnel to large distribution businesses across the UK. This will include dvrs, warehouse ops, tm leaders, supervisors and shift managers. The project will be looking for Riflemen with C+E licences, stores and warehouse experience. More details to follow shortly.
·Retail. Omega are working with some large names to provide manpower in areas where we have service leavers.
·Manufacturing. Omega are providing manpower into manufacturing sites in Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. No experience required; the only pre-requisite is a willingness to learn and be reliable. Roles are suitable for Rfn and JNCOs. An Open Day can be arranged if there is sufficient interest.
·Project management. We are in discussions with a project management trg/consultancy company with the aim of providing project management trg (Prince2, MSP, MOR, APMP etc) and employment opportunities in due course. Details to follow.
Marketing. The Omega project is engaging with the business community on a county level through Local Enterprise Partnerships. The aim is to explain the strengths of Service personnel and how they could benefit their organisations. The intent is to run business receptions/networking events which build on the 2 & 5 RIFLES presentation teams’ briefs and target business and key influencers in the counties. This is one component of the marketing strategy which includes:
·Reworked website
·Rifles job board
·Targeted direct mail and e-shot campaign
·Advertising in targeted industry publications
The first Omega Business reception event will in Gloucestershire this autumn, with the intent of conducting similar activities in other counties asap. I will contact county offices to discuss.
Access. The project will only engage with registered Riflemen. All Riflemen leaving the Army should be encouraged to register and engage with the project. The project should form a component of all Riflemen’s resettlement plan.
Transparency. The project will continue to provide updates to RCMOs on all personnel registered with the project to ensure it does not have an effect on retention.
If you have any points, comments or suggestions drop me a line.
