September 22 2008 - Armed forces technicians are being helped to readjust to life on civvy street by the RTC Group plc, which owns ATA Rail, one of the UK's leading rail recruitment consultancies and Catalis Ltd, a leading rail training company.
People working in technical jobs for the forces - from telecoms to helicopter repairs - are being retrained for jobs in the railway sector, in traction and rolling stock, by Catalis in a scheme called Train into Rail.
ATA Rail, a division of ATA Selection, which has a network of regional offices across the UK providing skilled permanent and contract workers of varying levels to companies ranging from SMEs to multinationals, can then match retrained candidates with employers in need of staff.
With recent (JULY 10) Ministry of Defence research showing that almost half of forces personnel regularly consider quitting, RTC Group plc is encouraging skilled forces staff to consider the rail sector.
Paul McLoughlin, Head of Group Sales at RTC Group plc, who unveiled the scheme during a conference at the Derby Conference Centre, said: "We are working with the armed forces to take technicians who are leaving the forces and are looking for civilian work and helping to provide resettlement training.
"We can take them into the rail sector, where operators need highly skilled technicians to work for them.
"Many people leaving the forces have highly developed skill-sets. We can help them adapt their technical expertise to civilian jobs, and then find them suitable employment. Indeed, many people in the armed forces often have transferable skills that the railways need.
"The MoD survey shows that many people consider leaving the forces. We can help them overcome difficulties in finding work when with this innovative new scheme."
Under the scheme, people leaving the army, air force or navy, who are technically qualified in electrics, mechanics and electronics, would be given industry leading training by Catalis Ltd.
Once trained at Catalis' high-tech facility based at the Derby Conference Centre, ATA Rail will complete face-to-face assessments with them and match them to the requirements of train operators.
ATA Rail will then guarantee staff for 12 weeks once they are placed with an employer. If during that time they are found to be unsuitable, the employer would get a full refund.
A number of train companies have already agreed to recruit staff from the Train into Rail scheme. They are Chiltern Railways, East Midlands Trains, Eurostar, Hitachi and Northern Rail.
Paul McLoughlin said that RTC Group was looking to expand the project into other functions, including signalling, train driving, health and safety and track working.
ATA Selection has 10 regional offices, from Glasgow to Slough, with more than 100 consultants who are experts both in specific markets and their regional marketplace.
Its sister company Catalis Ltd, based at the Derby Conference Centre, specialises in training, and is a market leader in training in the rail sector. Working together the companies can provide unique solutions for businesses that need technically qualified staff.
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