A dedicated report from the Army Families Federation and Warwick Institute for Employment Research found that many partners and spouses of Armed Forces personnel are underemployed – where work is either low paid, unstable, or without opportunities to progress – due to the specific challenges that this cohort faces.
In response to these challenges, today, Catch22 and the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (supported by the Ministry of Defence) announce a new partnership, to support the spouses and partners of Armed Forces personnel and reservists into employment.
The twelve-month Joining Forces programme will support a cohort of 40 spouses and partners of Armed Forces personnel from across England and Wales to achieve employment success, through a programme of tailored employability support. Covering both digital skills and employability, participants will benefit from advice on CVs, interviews and the skills they need to thrive in a modern workplace, six months of one-to-one support from a professional Career Coach, and six months of in-work support once they have secured a job.
Sustainable, meaningful work creates purpose, which can have a ripple effect for an individual’s health, wellbeing, family and wider community. We believe that this programme will help to create new pathways into successful, high-quality digital careers for this group, enabling them to achieve employment success whilst receiving the necessary support to sustain in work long-term.
This is why the Joining Forces programme has been specially designed to focus on the challenges that the spouses and partners of Armed Forces personnel and reservists may face – with a particular focus on remote work and working from home opportunities which may be better suited to this target audience due to their location on military bases, which are often based far from sizeable population centres, and the likelihood of short-notice and/or frequent relocation in order to follow their spouse or partner.
Catch22 has extensive experience within the employability sector, providing specialist, expert support to help individuals who face barriers to work into sustainable employment or training. Each year we support more than 2,500 people into jobs. It is also a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, recognising the value that serving personnel (both regular and reservists), veterans, and military families contribute to business and country.
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust awards grants that support the Armed Forces community. Its focus is on funding programmed based on evidence of the challenges that people within the Armed Forces community face, and where funding can make a significant difference.
Victoria Head, Strategic Director of Employability and Skills said:
“At Catch22, we see first hand the impact that good, well-paid work can have: providing a sense of purpose, greater control over your life, and the ability to build a better future for yourself and your family.
“For military spouses and partners, who often cannot sustain in work due to additional challenges around frequent relocation, childcare needs, and their remote location on military bases, the difference that this could make can’t be understated.
“Joining Forces has been created to respond to these challenges, along with the rising cost-of-living crisis that is driving up demand for employment across all communities. With a focus on digital skills, Joining Forces will support these individuals to find and thrive in meaningful work – where their location and family needs are not a hindrance to their employment success.”