Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) is proud to now offer guaranteed interviews to all members of the Armed Forces community applying for roles within the Trust.
Members of the Armed Forces community applying for roles within WWL, will now be offered interviews when all the essential job criteria laid out in job descriptions and specifications are met. The scheme, which launched earlier this month, supports the pledges in the Armed Forces Covenant and the Trust’s accreditation as a ‘Gold Award’ Employer.
By providing guaranteed interviews, WWL will be helping veterans across the Wigan Borough to demonstrate their skills beyond the initial application stage and paves the way for greater employment opportunities for the Armed Forces community at WWL.
Leanne Cobham, WWL’s Armed Forces Lead spoke on how this will benefit Wigan’s Armed Forces community saying: “This is a huge step forward for WWL in our commitment to supporting our Armed Forces community and really brings to life what it means to be a ‘Gold Award’ accredited Employer.
“The Armed Forces community offer invaluable skills and knowledge to many jobs across the NHS and I’m delighted we are looking at new ways to attract them to join us at the Trust.”
The scheme does not offer a guaranteed job but does allow veterans, reservists and their families a better chance to find work, especially when it can be hard for them to transition to civilian life and secure employment.
Sarah Atcha, Recruitment Manager at WWL commented on the benefits this will have for both the Trust, and Wigan’s veterans stating: “WWL is committed to assisting the Armed Forces community to overcome employment barriers.
“We recognise the invaluable contributions and transferrable skills the Armed Forces community can bring to healthcare, and we welcome more applications from those looking to bring their military expertise into the NHS.”
David Lowe, Operations Team Manager from Walking with the Wounded; a British Military Charity dedicated to helping support veterans and their families said “Our Ex-Servicemen and Women possess some unrivalled skills and excellent personal qualities, which can prove invaluable in fast-paced working environments such as the NHS.
“Collaboration is key to our success at Walking with the Wounded and we are proud to be working alongside WWL to assist more veterans and family members into lasting employment with the Trust”
It is advised that applicants state whether they are a veteran, reservist, cadet, part of the Armed Forces family or a transitioning service leader and select the Armed Forces option on their application. Any questions or enquiries can be sent directly to WWL’s Recruitment team at recruitment@wwl.nhs.uk.