YOUTH charity The Prince’s Trust is following the Armed Forces Covenant by providing up to five days paid leave to serving Reservists and flexibility in granting leave to spouses and partners before, during and after their partner is deployed.
The charity is also promoting an enterprise programme to Service leavers and spouses and partners to support them into employment and self-employment.
As part of its commitment to ensure the Armed Forces community does not face disadvantage, the Trust is establishing 20 work placements for wounded, injured and sick (WIS) personnel and providing 100 places on its Get Started in Health and Social Care programme.
Chief executive Martina Milburn said: “While the leap from military to civilian employment can often seem daunting to Servicemen and women, they have an invaluable set of skills and should receive the best possible support from employers across the UK as they establish a fulfilling second career.”
The Prince’s Trust works in partnership with Help for Heroes to enable around 30 WIS personnel to access secondments on its team programme each year, offering participants the chance to apply their skills to youth work and experience a new way of working in a civilian environment.
Jimmy Thorpe, an ex-soldier who was wounded in service, established a new career in youth work.
He said: “If The Prince’s Trust had not believed in me when I was in transition, short in self-confidence and full of self-doubt, I do not know where I would be.
“I see the same uncertainty in the young people we work with and know that with the right support and encouragement opportunities that seemed impossible can be grasped.”
For more about the work of the Prince’s Trust, visit www.princes-trust.org.uk or check out the autumn edition of Army&You magazine, out on 31 August.