Bringing Service leavers and employers together nationwide

Six months into our delivery of the Career Transition Partnership, Programme Director Dan Lander looks at the impact of our Employment Fairs.

We’re through the first six months of our delivery of the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), a partnering agreement between the Ministry of Defence and Reed in Partnership to provide resettlement support for all Armed Forces Service leavers.

The support is designed to meet the personal, individual aspirations of Service leavers. This includes providing access to subsidised vocational training courses, training grants, workshops and events, digital tools, housing and financial advice, job opportunities and self-employment support.

One of the ways in which we provide support is through our programme of nationwide Employment Fairs. Our Fairs are designed to bring Service leavers and employers together. They offer valuable resources, networking opportunities and direct access to Forces-friendly employers with experience of hiring Veterans and Service leavers.

Since we began delivering the CTP in October 2024 we have held five Employment Fairs, with the latest at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh just last week. Nearly 300 Service leavers joined more than 90 exhibitors at the home of Scottish rugby for a day full of opportunity and energised conversations.

To ensure Service leavers are getting the best possible experience from our Employment Fairs we carry out ongoing labour market analysis to understand the trends that are driving the regional economies our Fairs visit and to optimise our offer.

With more than 80 employers typically exhibiting at each Fair, we’re consistently monitoring whether those attending are representative of future labour market needs, as well as exploring how we can maximise this opportunity for both Service leavers and employers.

For example, with an average of 1,500 unique job postings a month in 2025 - an increase of 31% since 2024 - the NHS is the top hiring employer in Edinburgh and its surrounding areas (Lightcast, 2025). It is crucial that we work with them to provide an opportunity for Service leavers to meet this regional and national employer to explore potential career pathways and options.

Three core industries in Edinburgh and its surrounding area have seen above 60% growth in the last year (Lightcast, 2025):

• Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities
• Financial and Insurance Activities
• Construction

The first two are key growth-driving sectors highlighted in the Government’s draft Industrial Strategy, while construction has been identified by Skills England as essential to achieving the Government’s missions. Each of these were represented at the Edinburgh Employment Fair, offering crucial opportunities for Service leavers to connect with industries vital to economic growth throughout Scotland and the UK.

By backing up our personalised and tailored support for every Service leaver with targeted employer engagement and labour market analysis, we can better connect every individual with the employers who need the diverse and sought-after skills that Service leavers bring.

This was our fifth Employment Fair since we began our delivery of CTP last October, with 10 more dates scheduled across the UK we look forward to connecting more employers and Service leavers throughout the year.