Mission complete: Largest UK Armed Forces transition event ever held hailed a success.
Hundreds gathered at Silverstone from across the UK a seminal moment for what it means to be a Veteran
The National Transition Event (NTE) at Silverstone once again delivered a podium of collaboration, innovation and growth as businesses, government and the armed forces community came together as one community movement on Monday 4th March, showcasing veterans as a national strategic asset.
Sports recovery service charity Mission Motorsport harnesses the ‘Mission Community’ initiatives to deliver life-changing outcomes for veterans and their families for the 5th year in a row. Using the unique draw of a hundred sports and supercars taking attendees around the GP circuit at speed, Silverstone Wing Conference Centre hosted Veterans from 200 exhibiting organisations.
The day is a networking opportunity for the 2.2 million veterans in society, as well as the fifteen thousand servicemen and women leaving the armed forces each year. The NTE connects businesses from innovative sectors such as automotive, renewable, manufacturing to over 1200 registered attendees. The overwhelming feedback from exhibitors was about the sheer quality of the talent they met on the day. Billed very much as ‘not a job fayre’ - companies were asked to bring not recruiters, but their veterans to represent them, and the call was answered with over 600 veteran attendees helping tell their story to those who need a leg up, or are embarking on their own journey of leaving the Armed Forces.
As well as the business representation on the day, NTE saw high-level interest from Dame Andrea Leadsom MP, who as well as being the local MP for South Northants, visited the Family Zone, a first for this event, in her role as Public Health and Start for Life Minister. She spent the morning with several military charities.
The event not only gives charities and businesses a voice, but also attracts the support of career game changing tools such as CV & interview advice, provided by experts from Severn Trent, and free Premium Licenses from LinkedIn, who also ran a series of workshops and brought along a photographer to help attendees develop their online profile.
Keynote speaker for the day was Veterans’ Minister Rt Hon Johnny Mercer MP, who had a simple message for those from industry inside and outside the room:
‘Employing a Veteran is the best business decision you’ll make.’
And we happen to agree, encapsulated by the volume of support received from business at NTE, including our headline sponsors AWE (Atomic Weapons Establishment) and many more. Mission Motorsport CEO/NTE Founder James Cameron added:
‘We have filled the halls with Veterans and companies represented by Veterans. And as much as anything else, this event informs those still in service that good things await them afterwards, but also that there are reasons for them to stay in uniform, and not to panic, knowing that there are amazing opportunities that await them afterwards and they need not cut their service prematurely short.’
Plans are already underway for NTE25, set to return to Silverstone, with ambitions to take on even more conference space in the Wing, as interest from the community grows. Not forgetting of course, the Troops’ Track Day, that continues to be at the core of what the event is all about. The mission continues.