Leading logistics employers and military top brass recently congregated at London's Naval and Military Club - also known as the 'In and Out Club' - in St James' Square - to celebrate the success of the Military Work Placement Scheme (MWPS) and to investigate the way forward for future schemes.
"The MWPS is clearly a great scheme with 1000 placements being achieved and, despite the it simply offering work placements, more than 250 people secured permanent jobs at the end of their experience," said Dr Ross Moloney, CEO of Skills for Logistics. "We are now investigating ways to source funding to build on the pilot's success."
Dr Moloney added: "We already have plans to roll out a local MWPS in Doncaster and Oxford, and will also be discussing with Brig. Jon Brittain, Head of Defence Logistic Policy at UK Ministry of Defence, who was at the meeting, about turning the MWPS into policy."
The pilot MWPS involved a free, 2-week work placement to give individuals going through resettlement the opportunity to 'try out' a career in logistics, while also giving the employer a chance to observe how service leavers would fit into their company. Employers involved in last year's pilot scheme told the meeting how pleased they had been with the caliber of individual who had taken their placements.