The Community
Who we are
The British Forces Resettlement Services, known as BFRS, provides help, advice and support to members of the Armed Forces, both past and present, and their families. We do this by fostering links with local communities and securing effective employment opportunities for people leaving the forces. BFRS works closely with other support organisations.
BFRS has created an Armed Forces network including both online and offline services to offer support to service leavers and their families during the transition process and beyond.
The BFRS is a Community Interest Company, which provides the flexibility and certainty of a company plus some special features to ensure we are working for the benefit of the community.
What we do
The British Forces Resettlement Services is a high-profile, proactive organisation, championing the skills and qualities and expertise of the Armed Forces community and providing support in conjunction with partner organisations.
BFRS brings the right people together to enable choice and is keen to ensure this support is as accessible as possible. BFRS runs events where people can meet face-to-face, and has also developed a significant online offering to ensure support is available continuously.
Bringing people together through networking is at the heart of everything we do – both in person, and online through a career transition environment and also a network dedicated to the Armed Forces.
How we do it
The British Forces Resettlement Services connects people in a number of ways including:
In person, at BFRS events
BFRS plans, organises and runs Armed Forces career transition events, the aim of which is to provide a physical focal point where service leavers and their families can meet with employers, training organisations and other organisations. Attendees are given the chance to talk directly to organisations who will help them make them make their career transition successful by providing support including:
•Help writing the perfect CV
•Talking with Forces-friendly employers and training organisations
•Support on starting a business
•Advice on housing, finance and other transition issues
Online, through the BFRS Virtual Career Transition Environment
The Virtual Career Environment (VCE) may sound technical but it is extremely simple and straightforward to use. It is just like attending one of our BFRS events, but is conducted online in a virtual setting via our website. Service leavers can meet with leading industry employers, as if in person, but from the comfort and convenience of their home. Visitors can log in and visit employer booths, view and apply for jobs, watch employer videos and presentations, chat with recruiters, and even have the ability to conduct a one-to-one video interview direct from their home computer. Best of all, the virtual event is available 24/7, so users can enjoy all the benefits of a careers
event whenever they need it.
Online, through the BFRS social network
The BFRS website provides a social network facility, where users can interact with other members through private messaging and status updates, a job board and a searchable corporate membership database. Members can search for a company, a training provider or other organisation and they can then research that organisation and
make contact with them in a friendly, personalised, community setting.
Benefits
BFRS is a community and we take this very seriously. It is our responsibility to bring the right service leavers together with the right employers and we operate on a not-for-profit basis. We work with partner organisations who have a lot to offer ex-service personnel and their families.
We also work with corporate members including training providers, forces friendly employers and other transition services. They commit to the BFRS Code of Professional Conduct, doing business in an ethical manner and offering their products and services at fair and competitive rates.
The BFRS environment is one where the people involved understand the challenges faced by service leavers and the high levels service personnel work to, and expect from others. Those involved in BFRS support and respect service leavers for their strengths and aim to develop relationships with individuals, which is where BFRS has provided a number of platforms through which people with shared values can engage.
