Portland was delighted to partner with Care After Combat in March to deliver an Employability Conference to businesses from across the region.
Care After Combat is a national charity that supports veterans who, through the impact of their service, have found themselves in the justice system.
Portland’s focus for the event was to provide employers with the tools and support to help reduce the Disability Employment Gap.
Both charities joined forces to deliver a high-profile event to encourage employers to become more inclusive and to help overcome their recruitment challenges, by tapping into this huge, yet hidden labour force of at least 1.5 million people ready and motivated to work.
This thought-provoking event aimed to expel common myths and to equip and empower employers, to lead the way to an inclusive labour market for all.
The day involved a host of inspirational speakers including Ben Bradley MP, Alex Norris MP and Jon White, Marine Veteran and Paralympian Athlete who shared his journey from being severely injured in service in Afghanistan, leading to the loss of both legs and his right arm, to becoming a top-level Paralympian Athlete and inspirational speaker who uses his experience of overcoming adversity to motivate others.
Adrian Kirk, Care After Combat CEO commented “It was a pleasure and a privilege for Care after Combat to hold its Resilience & Employability conference at Portland College. A wealth of expert speakers combined with a fully engaging audience of around 100 delegates made for an interesting and worthwhile day. Whilst the focus was regional, the topics covered transfer readily across geography and sectors and the powerful presentations gave everyone plenty to take away and, hopefully, will contribute positively to our collective efforts to improve employment outcomes for our respective beneficiaries.
Dean Fathers, Trustee for Care After Combat and Portland Charity added “My gratitude goes to the Jones Foundation for funding this fantastic event, to the wonderful teams at Portland College and Care After Combat for all their hard work in preparing for and in running the day and to all the speakers for their excellent and insightful presentations. It was a real privilege to be asked to facilitate this conference, listen to the richness of the content and know how it will positively impact on many people in Nottinghamshire.”
