Boots on the ground

Britain’s Army boots will hit the ground in Newark as part of a nationwide new “Step Up” recruitment campaign designed to bring 10,000 soldiers into the Army over the coming year.

As part of the campaign, people are being invited to attend one of a number of recruitment events running throughout Nottinghamshire over the next month including finding out more at one of the Jobcentre Plus clinics taking place in Newark from June 17.

The Jobcentre Plus clinics will provide potential recruits in Newark with more information about the range and variety of jobs available in the Army as well as a unique opportunity to meet and talk to young serving soldiers about what the Army can offer.

Newark’s events are part of a nationwide campaign to dispel the misconception that the Army is not hiring as new statistics reveal that only half of all people surveyed realised that the Army is looking for new recruits. The survey also revealed that knowing the Army is recruiting would make 14% of people in the East Midlands think about it as a career.

The Step Up campaign includes TV adverts which show the audience through the perspective of a pair of iconic Army boots, the potential journey that any soldier might take whilst following a career in the Army and highlighting what it can offer new recruits.

The campaign and Jobcentre Plus clinics form part of an overhauled system designed to streamline recruitment. Army jobs will now be advertised in job centres, and applicants will be able to apply online from anywhere in the UK. The vast majority of the application process is now done online. All applications are administered through the dedicated National Recruiting Centre, where a mentor is assigned to each applicant to guide him or her through the process of joining the Regular Army or the Reserves.

Brigadier Andrew Jackson, the Director of Recruiting and Training for the Army said:

“We are always looking for talented, young people to take up the challenge of a career in the Army. No matter what your skills or background, the Army has something to offer you and an Army job provides opportunities to learn much more beyond military skills.

"It will develop you and show you the strengths you didn't know you had.

"These statistics show that one in five people would consider joining the Army so we need to encourage those individuals to come forward and find out more about joining us.

“No matter what its size, the Army is always recruiting to ensure we have enough quality junior ranks and young officers to sustain the organisation and keep it ready for the challenges of the future. We pride ourselves on recruiting individuals who demonstrate talent and promise, and then provide them with all the training and development opportunities they need.

"Monday is about helping people in Newark’s take the first step toward a successful career in the Army, and beyond.”

For more information about job opportunities with the Army, visit http://www.army.mod.uk/join/StepUp or call 0845 600 8080.