We’re passionate about supporting Service leavers and veterans as they make the sometimes difficult transition from their military lives to seek new careers in the civilian world.
With around 9% of our Defence workforce having connections to the Armed Forces we understand the challenges that Service leavers can face as they search for roles in new industries or retrain for new occupations. We also recognise the benefits they can bring to our organisation and we’re keen to draw on their skills and knowledge to improve our customer service.
In April 2020, we began a new partnership with the Open University and committed to supporting their Disabled Veterans Scholarship Fund (DVSF) which provides free education and a wrap-around disability and support service to veterans injured in or due to service, helping them aim for successful post-service careers.
Part of our support is to provide funding to the students so they can carry out their studies and to offer work experience opportunities within Amey, where possible. We also help with CV writing and mentoring to help them find meaningful employment after Service.
The online event was organised to thank the many donors who are supporting the programme and provided an opportunity to hear ‘first-hand’ of how the programme is helping disabled veterans to pursue their ambitions and unlock futures many of them believed were impossible.
Richard Castell, Amey’s Operational Relationship Manager, and ex- Colonel in the Army, was invited to talk about Amey’s support to Service leavers and how our alliance with BuildForce and our work with the Careers Transition Partnership (CTP) is helping to ensure that the talents of all veterans are recognised and developed.
Jhumar Johnson, Director of the Vice-Chancellor’s Office at The Open University said “It was an honour to have Richard speak at our DVSF virtual event to celebrate the impact of the fund and update the donors who have made 160 scholarships possible. Having Amey join this community of donors, individuals, foundations and companies, brings not just vital funding but also invaluable expertise into the mix and we look forward to building on this relationship in the coming years.”
Amey is committed to the Armed Forces Covenant principle of being open to employing reservists, veterans (including the wounded, injured and sick), cadet instructors and military spouses/partners and holds the Gold Award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.
Further information
If you’re interested in finding out more about the DVSF please visit: http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/fees-and-funding/disabled-veterans-scholarship-fund.
If you are from the Armed Forces community and would like information about careers at Amey please visit https://www.amey.co.uk/letsjoinforces