“Today’s publication of Lord Ashcroft’s Veterans’ Transition Review has underlined the work we published last Summer under the Transition Mapping Study” said Forces in Mind Trust Chief Executive Air Vice-Marshal Ray Lock at today’s launch.

“The six key recommendations align with our Study’s findings and can only help us as we try and have them implemented.  Our recent commissions to Manchester Business School and the Directory of Social Change will provide solutions to Lord Ashcroft’s suggestions of helpline consolidation and a Charities Directory, whilst our funding of the Future Horizons Programme at Catterick garrison has already caused the MOD to introduce better transition support to Early Service Leavers.

“We are delighted also to see strong support for a work placement scheme, for which we believe Lord Ashcroft is uniquely placed to gain Industry’s engagement.  This, and better transferable and life skills via a personal development plan, strongly echo our findings.

“Finally the very clear identification that the vast majority succeed in their transition, and that the MOD has a key role to play in changing public perceptions of veterans not as victims but as skilled and talented people offering a great deal to society, underlines the need for a much stronger evidence base.  That is what decisions should be made upon, and it’s something that the Forces in Mind Trust was established to create”

The Report is available to download from www.veteranstransition.co.uk.