A Veterans’ Foundation grant has enabled BuildForce to convert its content online – meaning record numbers of candidates could register and go on to secure a career in construction.
During the pandemic, BuildForce were able to bring the construction industry to veterans in the safety of their own homes, with virtual content being viewed over 300,000 times. This helped them to upskill and transition into long-term professional and trade careers.
With the support of a dedicated psychologist, delivering mental health workshops via Teams, BuildForce were able to help more candidates than ever into employment in the last 12 months.
Angela Forbes, Chief Executive of BuildForce, said: “The Veterans’ Foundation grant enabled us to swiftly support those ready for employment and ensure we mitigated the impact of COVID-19.
“It is critical to avoid a spiral of unemployment, debt and poor mental health, so as soon our candidates are ready for employment we needed to move quickly.
“Thanks to the Veterans’ Foundation grant, we were able to continue supporting our Armed Forces community with our wraparound support service; adapting our programme to be accessed virtually, whilst ensuring the same quality of service. Due to the pandemic we saw a surge of ‘returners’; veterans we had previously supported into employment who had been made COVID-redundant.”
One beneficiary of the BuildForce programme added: “I applied for over 20 roles and had no replies. After joining BuildForce I was made an offer with the first employer they connected me to. Thank you, Veterans’ Foundation, for funding them.”
