British Safety Council is offering unemployed UK veterans free support to access a career in health, safety and wellbeing.
Called ‘From Service to Safety’, this new initiative recognises the valuable skills and experience that people who have served in the Armed Forces can bring to a career in health and safety. Transferable skills developed while serving in the military can include risk awareness, hazard identification and mitigation, which are highly sought after in occupational safety and health (OSH) roles. The new initiative is also intended to address critical skills needs across the OSH profession and encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to consider it as a career.
From Service to Safety will offer Service leavers and veterans who are already or about to be made unemployed the opportunity to train for a NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. This is a widely recognised UK qualification for managers, supervisors, and safety professionals, focusing on risk management and safety culture. Training will be delivered by British Safety Council’s high quality trainers, and will include wider career and pastoral support. The examinations board, NEBOSH is also supporting the initiative by funding the candidates’ examinations fees.
Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of British Safety Council, said: “We are thrilled and proud to be launching this new initiative, From Service to Safety, to help people who have already worked to keep our country safe, to enter a career helping people in work stay safe, healthy and well.
“British Safety Council’s commitment to service is rooted in our heritage. Our founder, James Tye, was inspired by his time spent serving for his country in the Second World War to dedicate his life to campaigning for safer and healthier workplaces.
“We know that Service leavers and veterans already often possess skills in risk awareness, hazard identification, and mitigation, all of which be applied in occupational health and safety roles. As a sector with an ageing demographic, we want to attract people from a wide range of ages and backgrounds to the profession.”
The NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety provides practical skills and sustainable knowledge that can be applied to any workplace and across all industries, so it is ideal for those seeking to begin a career in health and safety.
Andy Shenstone, Chief Executive of NEBOSH said: “NEBOSH are so pleased to support the British Safety Council’s From Service to Safety initiative through our Social Purpose programme. It’s an honour to support the ongoing personal development of military veterans, and particularly to those wanting to pursue health, safety, wellbeing and environment as a career.”
Eligible participants without access to resettlement funding, will be referred through the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), who are the official provider of resettlement for the Armed Forces and have supported 340,000 Service leavers over more than 27 years. The CTP provide Transition, Training and Employment support, which is delivered by expert trainers and trusted partners, tailored for Service leavers, quality-assured and accountable to the MoD.
Training in From Service to Safety will start in April, with 100 places available during the course of this year. For further information on the initiative, visit From Service to Safety | British Safety Council.