Troops to retrain as builders

Several schemes have been set up to retrain returning soldiers as construction workers. Persimmon Homes is just one firm that has its own dedicated ex-military personnel recruitment programme, which is aiming to sign up hundreds of new trainees every year from the Armed Forces. The initiative, which was launched in December, aims to recruit as many as 500 ex-Service personnel each year. Group chief executive officer Jeff Fairburn explained: "We worked hard over the course of 2014 to develop this programme to help us meet a shortage of much-needed skilled tradesmen across the UK.”