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Employers visit Air Combat Power

Employers from across the East Midlands attended the event, they had the chance to tour RAF Coningsby, learn about the RAF’s operational demands, discover more about ground defence and get up close with the most exciting RAF aircraft.

Andy Disney, Director at Bulk Freight Ltd, explained: “Air Combat Power 2018 was a good insight into the current capabilities the RAF and highlights the role it is going to play in the future regarding Cyber warfare.

“From an employer’s standpoint it was a great way of seeing the how reservists can play in such a dedicated organisation, the skills they will gain and how transferrable these are to their role as an employee.”

Professor Simon Denny, Executive Dean at the University of Northampton, added:  “The Air Combat Power visit was very well arranged and the programme provided an excellent overview of the ‘support and deploy’ roles that personnel in the RAF carry out.

Employers during the Air Combat Power Visit

“I was hugely impressed by the range of technical roles that were demonstrated to us, and by the enthusiasm of the RAF personnel, both Regular and Reserve, for their jobs.

“The skills they develop and have to use in the RAF are a brilliant complement and supplement to the competences we require from staff at the University, and hope to develop in our students.”

The employers were taken to the event by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), all have engaged with the MoD and actively support reservists that they employ.

Events like this give the employers a deeper understanding of the support members of the armed Forces community need throughout their employment.

John Wilson, the Ministry of Defence’s East Midlands Employer Engagement Director, said: “Members of the Reserve Forces take part in a wide variety of training each year, this allows them to develop skills like team working, management, problem solving and leadership, which all extremely valuable to the civilian workplace.

“Events like this allow us to showcase what the RAF does and it gives the employers an opportunity to speak directly with reservists where they can find out more about the training they undertake, the benefits of reserve service and the challenges they face when it comes to balancing their reserve service with their civilian careers and family commitments.”