Colchester: Soldiers explore future careers in energy sector

The Military Energy Industry Awareness event was part of the Skills for Energy programme, hosted by the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR), and sponsored by Essex Armed Forces Community Covenant.

“The number of service leavers approaching us is steadily increasing,” said EEEGR’s executive director Celia Anderson.

Ms Anderson, who leads the Skills for Energy programme, said the soldiers needed advice on how they might fit into the industry and how best to sell themselves.

“Many jobs are secured through people you know and so we help them to build their networks with contacts that can help.”

Ex-military speakers, currently working in the energy industry, recounted their experiences leaving the services and provided advice on how to make the transition as smooth as possible.

One of the main aims of Skills for Energy partnership is support service leavers wanting to enter the energy industry.

Among the speakers was Ian Moulton, operations improvement manager from Perenco, who spoke about how the equipment used in the energy industry is not too dissimilar to that used in the armed forces. Mr Moulton also highlighted the importance of using their transferable skills, but also demonstrating the ability to learn.

Also speaking was Kip Morton, Director for Forces4Energy, who looked in depth at turbines within the energy industry, and facilitated the CV workshop that took place in the afternoon.

“This was an excellent opportunity for experienced and motivated ex and serving military to gain valuable insight into the energy industry directly from those who work within the sector,” he said.

“It is rare to get an opportunity to discuss your own CV, skills and capabilities in an open forum such as this and it has proved invaluable to the service leavers.”

For more information on the Skills for Energy military programme, contact Celia Anderson, 01493 446535, celia.anderson@eeegr.com