Just over two years ago, Travis Perkins signed the Armed Forces Covenant, becoming the 1500th organisation to do so. Our effort and commitment to support, recruit and develop armed forces personnel was further recognised when we were awarded the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Award.
Our commitment to supporting ex-forces members is also apparent in our partnership with Careers Transition Partnership (CTP) where you can come along and meet us at organised events, speak with us on Live Chat and ask us any questions you may have. We’ve actively recruited more than 200 service leavers since 2015 in roles spanning branch management and IT Supply Chain. It’s a commitment we’re proud to continue into the future and we look forward to welcoming more service leavers into the Travis Perkins family.
Jake’s story
I work for BSS as the General Manager at the National Tube Distribution Centre in Coventry. After joining the Army in May 2006, I carried out my phase one and two training before completing my trade training to learn bricklaying and concreting skills. After my training, I was posted to 26 Engineer Regiment in Andover, Wiltshire. In March 2009, my squadron were deployed on OP Herrick 10 for 6 months where I spent most of my time in the Nad-e-ali area of Helmand. In May 2010, my regiment deployed to Kenya for a three-month tour where we were constructing accommodation for British troops who were doing pre-deployment training.
After leaving the Army in November 2010, I was not entirely sure what I wanted to do until I found a job advertised on the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) websites for a Warehouse Operative at BSS National Tube Distribution Centre in Coventry. I applied and was successful – and it soon become apparent that not only did I have a job, I also had the opportunity for a career if I wanted it. I demonstrated that I was keen to progress quickly and after 12 months I was promoted to a Team Leader in December 2011. I then moved to a Warehouse Supervisor position before becoming Operations Manager in Lutterworth, then was appointed General Manager at Cross Point in September last year.
Since joining BSS, I’ve had numerous opportunities for personal development and the career opportunities that all employees have are endless within the multiple brands of the Group. I would recommend anyone leaving the Armed Forces to seriously review the career opportunities on offer. I never envisaged when I started in 2010 as a Warehouse Operative that just over seven years later, I would be in an Operations Manager role. I have worked hard to get where I am and have received the most amazing support from BSS along the way.
Read more of Jake’s story here
Daniel’s story
I joined the Army in September 2011. After completing my training, I joined my parent unit the 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment in Cyprus. I then went to Kenya, where I took part in a six-week exercise for more unconventional warfare tactics for deployments such as Afghanistan.
After Kenya, I spent time learning to drive specialist military vehicles in preparation for the Battalions deployment to Afghanistan, where I was stationed for 8 months. My other postings included Germany and a support role with the Parachute regiment in Belize, where I was trained in jungle warfare and survival skills before leaving the Army in January 2016.
After leaving, I felt that my driving qualifications (along with the enjoyment I gained from driving in various situations), would be the best career path for me personally. I really wanted the position at Travis Perkins especially as they offer many additional ‘perks’, but also as they are a huge supporter of recruiting ex-forces personnel. I was delighted to be offered a Class 2 driving role for them based out of the Wellingborough branch in February 2016.After nine months, I was ready for a new challenge and was especially keen to progress within the company, so was delighted to be offered a role at Rushden as a Customer Service Assistant. This was my first office/sales-based role and involved a massive learning curve, but a really enjoyable one! I then had the opportunity came up to apply for an Assistant Manager role based at the Rushden branch, which I happily secured
The transition from life in the military to civilian life is never an easy one. I feel what could have been a hard time in my life was helped made easier to adjust when I started working for Travis Perkins, especially as everyone from the Regional Director through to my branch colleagues were hugely supportive. My time in the forces helped shape me as a person, teaching me to be proactive and organised, with great time-keeping and man-management skills, helping to instil in me the importance of working as a team to get the job done, which is exactly what we do here at Travis Perkins. I would highly recommend a career within the Travis Perkins Group to any ex forces personnel as the number of roles available, along with the different career paths to take, make it a great business to be a part of.
Read more of Daniel’s story here
If you’re considering career options after the Armed Forces, we’d love to work with you. Take a look at our roles on offer and find out why we’re a great place to work.
