A new cutting-edge air defence missile system is on target for full-time use by both the Royal Navy and the British Army – with its innovation supported by experts from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), who have been at the heart of its development since conception.
The Defence Minister highlighted how our Armed Forces’ can work closer together at a Protection of Cultural Heritage event, before further discussing future co-operation with Italian Defence partners.
Minister for the Armed Forces Mark Lancaster said:
European security is UK security and we are strengthening our defence partnership with Italy, a key NATO ally.
Our two countries cooperate on a wide range of shared security challenges, from threats to valuable cultural property to countering cyber-attacks.
At the Protection of Cultural Heritage event, Lancaster announced that the Army-led Cultural Property Protection Unit (CPPU) is now starting to recruit reservists. The CPPU was established as part of the UK Government’s implementation of the Hague Convention that places obligations on the Armed Forces for the protection of cultural property from damage, destruction and looting.
In speaking with Italian counterparts, he reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to the Statement of Intent signed earlier this year to further defence and security cooperation between the two countries in the maritime, land, air and cyber domains and to strengthen the interoperability of our Armed Forces through regular planning and training activities.
The Defence Minister also met with British Armed Forces personnel posted in Italy including those in the Combined Libya Fusion Cell, a multinational intelligence group monitoring the situation in Libya, and the European Naval Force mission to disrupt human trafficking networks in the Mediterranean.
In the two decades since its launch, a quarter of a million service leavers have been supported in the next stage of their careers by the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), a partnership between the MOD and Right Management Ltd.
The CTP offers one-to-one career guidance, vocational training, events, networking and employment opportunities to serving personnel for up to two years before they leave the Armed Forces, supporting them as they prepare to enter the civilian workplace or further education.
Benefitting from training in interview techniques and CV development, as well as targeted workshops designed to identify and harness an individual’s strengths, 93% of service leavers transitioning through the CTP who are seeking employment, are in new roles within six months.
Ex-serving personnel can also access CTP support for two years after they have transitioned back into civilian life, ensuring the adjustment process is as smooth as possible.
Tobias Ellwood, Minister for Defence People and Veterans, said:
Our Armed Forces develop invaluable, lasting and transferrable skills during their service, and it is right that we support them to reach their potential when they leave.
With admirable qualities such as leadership, dedication and team work, those who have served are an asset to any organisation. The Career Transition Partnership team plays an ever more vital role in helping our people navigate the many opportunities open to them.
The CTP also provides specialist training to those who leave service early through the Future Horizons programme, which has supported 11,500 personnel since its introduction in 2008. A further specialised career programme, CTP Assist, supports approximately 900 wounded, injured and sick service leavers per year to achieve a sustainable and fulfilling career, regardless of time served.
The CTP offers a wide range of vocational training courses to enhance qualifications gained in the military or to retrain for a new career. Courses in fields such as finance, project management, IT and health and safety, and are designed around the needs of service leavers and to connect with routes to employment.
The CTP Employment Team is focussed on engaging with local SMEs and national employers to create unique pathways into employment and ensuring organisations take a strategic approach to integrate military talent into their workforce planning.
The CTP is currently working closely with a broad range of employers such as Amazon, Barclays, Jaguar Land Rover, BAE Systems, and Openreach to align the wealth of transferrable skills and experiences service leavers have.
Along with online career resettlement guides, personnel can also access advice on wider aspects of the transition process, including housing and pensions, managing finances, and moving abroad. This guidance is part of the broader support on offer to personnel to bridge the gap between military and civilian life.
The CTP is the first example of a military resettlement service provided by a partnership of private, public and charitable organisations, anywhere in the world. The model, established by the partnership between the MOD and Right Management Ltd, is supported by RFEA – The Forces Employment Charity who deliver CTP’s employment support, and is at the forefront of best international practice.
David Duffy, Right Management Ltd, Contract Director for Career Transition Partnership, said:
I am proud that Right Management have delivered a world-class resettlement provision on behalf of the MOD for two decades, helping to bridge the gap between military and civilian careers and connecting Armed Forces personnel to jobs. CTP staff are extremely committed and passionate about the part they play in supporting service leavers and this is evident in the remarkable achievements we have made.
The working landscape has changed beyond all recognition since we started, with an ever more transient marketplace and technology, along with social media, driving change at pace. Despite this, the CTP has stayed at the forefront of delivery, keeping pace with change and continually adapting to meet the needs of our service leavers.
The strategy will build on work that has already been undertaken to ensure that diversity and inclusion is a major part of all of Defence’s work, including in its workforce policies, culture and behaviours.
It sets out what kind of organisation the MOD and the armed forces aims to be: inclusive, representative and a force for inclusion.
A focus on diversity and inclusion will enable Defence to:
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:
We want our Armed Forces to better reflect the society they serve, so we’re stepping up measures to increase diversity and inclusion across defence.
Diversity and inclusion is critical to our success and will give us the operational edge we need. We are committed to delivering a more inclusive culture and a more diverse workforce at all levels.
The resting places of Second Lieutenant (2Lt) Norman Frederic Surry and Private (Pte) George Skilbeck have been marked a century after their deaths in the Great War. The rededication service took place on 10 October at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Montay-Neuvilly Road Cemetery near Cambrai in northern France.
The service was organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), part of Defence Business Services, and was conducted by the Reverend Tim Flowers CF, Chaplain 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment.
Rosie Barron, JCCC said:
It has been a privilege to organise this service and to have this opportunity to honour the sacrifices of 2Lt Surry and Pte Skilbeck 100 years after their deaths. As we mark the centenary of the armistice which ended the First World War next month, it is important not to forget the individual stories of these men who left their families and gave up everything to fight for the peace and freedom that we now enjoy.
The Reverend Tim Flowers said:
It is wonderful that we are finally able to give both these men the recognition that they deserve, and that their families now know the exact location of their final resting place. Now known to the family as well as known unto God.
2Lt Surry was serving with 16th Battalion The King’s Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) when he was killed on the morning of 12 October 1918, aged 25. The Battalion had been ordered to capture german positions on the Le Cateau to Solesmes railway line and had marched north east of Troisvilles to their assembly point west of the River Selle. 2Lt Surry was killed early in the attack which was ultimately successful.
2Lt Surry’s first child, Madeline, was just 5 weeks old when her father was killed.
Pte Skilbeck was killed on 11 October 1918 whilst serving with 53rd Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), aged 34. It is believed that he was killed between the front line at Neuvilly and the village of Inchy.
The service was attended by Pte Skilbeck’s grandson Tony and his family.
Tony Skilbeck, grandson of Private Skilbeck said:
We are extremely grateful to the MOD’s JCCC, CWGC and the researcher, Michael Lowe, whose research and hard work have made this service possible. We thank all those whose efforts ensure that the sacrifice made by George Skilbeck, and those like him, will never be forgotten.
We are pleased that my grandfather, having been an “Unknown Soldier” for a 100 years, is now identified and properly recognised for the brave man that he undoubtedly was.
Also in attendance were representatives from 16 Medical Regiment, RAMC, and the KRRC Association. Both men are commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial to the Missing and left behind young families who were faced with the uncertainty of not knowing where their loved ones were buried.
The final resting places of these 2 soldiers came to light after a researcher submitted evidence regarding their whereabouts. Further investigation was undertaken by the JCCC and the National Army Museum to corroborate the submitted evidence and the identification of the ‘Unknown Soldier’ graves were finally confirmed by the JCCC.
David Avery, CWGC Commemorations Officer said:
Second Lieutenant Surry and Private Skilbeck were recovered from the battlefield and buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Montay-Neuvilly Road Cemetery. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of a researcher, we are privileged to be able to mark their graves with headstones bearing their names and personal inscriptions chosen by their families.
Two new headstones bearing the names of 2Lt Surry and Pte Skilbeck have been provided by the CWGC, who will now care for their final resting places in perpetuity.