Silverstone job event helping veterans find new careers

Attendees at the National Transition Event watched as more than 100 supercars were driven around the track

Hundreds of former members of the armed forces have attended an event arranged to help them move into new careers in the civilian sector.

The National Transition Event (NTE) took place at Northamptonshire's Silverstone Circuit.

Mission Motorsport, the forces' motorsport charity which organised the event, said about 15,000 people leave the services each year.

The charity said those with a military background were an "untapped resource".

Organisers aimed to connect "forces-friendly" employers with a potential new workforce, and the event was supported by the Ministry of Defence and the Office for Veterans' Affairs.

The guests could also watch more than 100 supercars being driven around the race circuit.

About 1,200 people attended and 600 veterans were there representing different businesses, Mission Motorsport said. Roughly 200 companies and organisations had a presence, including Jaguar Land Rover, the NHS and National Grid.

James Cameron praised Silverstone for allowing the charity to host the event at the venue

Mission Motorsport chief executive James Cameron said it "isn't a job fair, it's about meeting those who came before you and had similar life stories".

Mr Cameron said he started the event as he noticed ex-service people struggled to articulate themselves in interviews.

"If you're in the armed forces, talking about yourself in the first person as being better than the people around you is very counter cultural," he explained.

He said people with a military background had enormous potential and not helping them find work was "letting ourselves down as a nation".

Stuart Pringle was an officer in the Royal Tank Regiment before leaving and finding a second career in motorsport

A forerunner to the event called Troops Track Day was first hosted at Silverstone in February 2019. The venue has hosted NTE each year since.

Stuart Pringle, Silverstone's chief executive, who served in the British Army during the 1990s, said: "It was a really formative part of my education in life; it's a wonderful experience and I use the lessons I learnt daily trying to steer Silverstone.

"Everything is transferable."

The former officer Royal Tank Regiment officer said ex-military people were "incredibly well skilled" and "used to solving problems".

"Throughout your training you're constantly reminded things go wrong," he explained.

"To have problem solvers and people who are not afraid to make a decision, they are an asset to any organisation."