Finchale welcomes its first cohort of veterans this week, who will be taking advantage of its vast accommodation, catering and transport facilities as part of a wider “Combat to Construction” project that will see 180 individuals supported throughout 2017.
The Combat to Construction Programme is an initiative from leading house builder Persimmon Homes, which aims to deliver jobs by re-training former military personnel to become bricklayers and joiners. Combat to Construction is a nationwide programme and trainees will be travelling from all over the country and this is where Finchale fits in, providing a friendly and relaxed atmosphere for individuals to reside taking care of the accommodation, catering and transport to support the off-site training phase of the programme.
The partnership comes as Pity Me based charity Finchale, which supports veterans, disabled and disadvantaged people and those with health inequalities, continues to build up its working relationships with organisations to provide people with the skills and confidence they need to access the job opportunities on offer.
Mel Pears MBE, CEO at Finchale, said: “We are excited to welcome Persimmon’s trainees to Finchale. It’s our commitment to help more people gain the skills they need to access more employment opportunities. Like Persimmon Homes, we have an unparalleled understanding of the skills and ambitions that ex-forces bring to the employment market and have a proven track record of helping all ranks, trades, backgrounds and services to find and remain in work. We are delighted that trainees will now be able to take advantage of our accommodation facilities whilst developing the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve their professional goals, and ultimately bring economic success to the wider community. The doors are always open at Finchale and our veterans services team will be on hand to support any individuals on programme with any wider support that may be required during their stay. ”
Gareth Barnes, Persimmon Homes said: “It gives me great pleasure to be working with Finchale. As a professional organisation with highly qualified and experienced personnel we are totally committed to providing our trainees with the highest quality learning experience and support whilst on the course to ensure that individual needs are identified and met.
Service leavers have an excellent reputation as loyal and hardworking and many have transferrable skills into the construction industry.
Combat to Construction has already been recognised by the MOD for its success and as we take the initiative to the next level of it’s expansion we are delighted to be able to work with the team at Finchale to offer a full package to our employees. The recruits on Combat to Construction are an intergral part of our long-term employment programme.”
For further information or to find out how your organisation can work with Finchale, please contact the Veterans’ Services Team on 0191 374 6129 or email enquiries@finchale.org
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Notes to editor
Finchale, based in Pity Me in County Durham, was founded in 1943 as a rehabilitation and resettlement centre for service personnel returning from active service, and it has retained strong links with the Armed Forces ever since.
The independent registered charity has supported disabled people and those with health inequalities for 73 years by offering specialist support for people with multiple and complex barriers to employment. It works with individuals and families from the Scottish Borders in the north to the East Riding of Yorkshire in the south, and across from Teesside to Cumbria. Finchale works with a wide range of employers and partners of all sizes from across the public, private and third sectors.
For further information please contact:
Katharine Hawking, Social Media and Marketing Officer, Tel: 0191 386 3624, Mob: 07540963734, Email: katharine.hawking@finchale.org
