With his 22-year long career in the Royal Navy coming to an end in October, Graeme Forster decided that a career in the construction industry was something that sparked his interest as he prepares for civilian life.

Through Soldiers to Site – Esh’s bespoke transition programme, designed to help service leavers who may be considering a career in construction – Graeme had the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experience from colleagues across multiple divisions within Esh Group. Over a total of 16 days, he spent time with the Health & Safety, Project Management, Planning and Fleet teams, offering hands on, flexible industry experience, allowing him to transfer his skills from the military into a new sector.

We recently caught up with Graeme to find out more about his career in the Navy, and to gain an insight into the success of his placement with Esh.

Can you tell me about your background before you started the Soldiers to Site programme?

My journey in the Royal Navy began back in 2004 when I trained as what was then known as a Naval Airman, and is now known as a Survival Equipment Technician. My responsibilities included maintaining lifesaving equipment such as aircrew helmets, immersion suits and emergency beacons. Now, I work with the aircrew at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton, looking after the maintenance of aircraft fit and personal issue equipment.

I initially joined the Navy to give me the chance to travel and see parts of the world that you wouldn’t usually get to see, however after my contract ended and I was offered an extra five years of service, I decided that – with two young children at home – now was the right time to conclude my service.

How did you hear about the Soldiers to Site programme and what motivated you to apply?

I came across the programme on the Career Transition Partnership website when I started my resettlement, and the construction industry felt like an exciting next step to begin my new journey, as it’s different to anything I’ve ever done before, and the challenge seemed appealing.

Being from Esh Winning, the connection between home and Esh Group stood out to me, as many people who I went to school with went on to work within the business. I knew that I was going to learn from knowledgeable people from a reliable and trustworthy company.

After spending time with different teams across the business, what have you taken away from your experience?

The variation between divisions is something that I found interesting, and now that I have finished the programme, I can definitely see myself building a career in construction. From looking behind the scenes at the planning aspects of large-scale civil engineering projects like Stockton Waterfront, to spending time with Esh-Stantec at Tursdale finding out about Sewer Network Improvements, each scheme gives you the opportunity to learn about construction in so many ways. The insight into how projects are managed and how decisions have an impact on overall delivery is something that I will take with me for the future.

What would you say to other people considering joining a programme like this one?

To any service leavers looking for a change in career, I would highly recommend taking part in a programme like this. The Soldiers to Site programme has given me a genuine understanding of what a career in the construction industry really looks like, and it’s great to see businesses like Esh investing in the futures of military personnel as they return to civilian life.

As proud Armed Forces Employee Recognition Scheme Gold Covenant holders, we are committed to setting an example for our industry, not just in supporting es-services staff, but to also help the industry to thrive. To find out more about our Armed Forces support, visit https://www.eshgroup.co.uk/join-us/armed-forces