Armed Forces
An Armed Forces Covenant signatory
By signing the Armed Forces Covenant we’re making a promise to the nation, that we’ll support our Armed Service personnel and their families. They have dedicated their time and efforts to protecting us, and in turn we’re committed to working with them to ensure they receive a fair and transparent experience when looking for work. We respect their dedication, and want to help them to secure future work opportunities that not only supports their transferrable skills, but gives them a future career trajectory that’s as rewarding as their time spent serving and protecting our nation.
The Armed Forces Covenant is our voluntary pledge that all active and retired service personnel will not face any disadvantage, and special consideration will be given where required to facilitate employment after injury or bereavement.
We’re also delighted to have achieved the Employer Recognition Scheme Bronze Award, for our work to date.
Some images on this page have been sourced from the Open Government Licence Page.
Engaging service leavers through the Career Transition Partnership
This includes regularly promoting job opportunities through the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), the official provider of the Armed Forces resettlement programme for the Ministry of Defence.
CTP branch leads within our offices have access to the programme’s job board, which allows them to advertise roles both on the job search website and within the resettlement centres across the UK. Recruiters also regularly attend the CTP’s regional employment fairs, to provide career and job seeking advice to service leavers and help with practical support such as setting up LinkedIn profiles to find work.
Over 14,000 highly skilled and experienced people leave the Armed Forces each year, and with a career in the Armed Forces unrivalled to any other when it comes to gaining valuable transferable skills their ability to follow instructions with precision, the teamwork mentality and specialist training are just a few key skills that are strong advantages when recruiting for technical and engineering roles.
Supporting the Armed Forces together
Each year colleagues in our Wigan Recruitment branch, Group support office and Linx business spend the Poppy Appeal fortnight selling poppies and merchandise at the local supermarket.
It’s a time of the year that’s important to us at NRL, as colleagues are able to use their paid charity leave to spend time in community helping to raise money to support the fantastic work the Poppy Appeal delivers to the Armed Forces community.
Colleagues have also been keen to raise vital funds for Walking With The Wounded, an important charity provides mental health and wellbeing support. Including our Egremont team taking on the Cumbrian Challenge ascending great heights two years running to drum up donations.
Advertising career opportunities with NRL through Forces Families Jobs
We’re just as keen to welcome the Armed Forces community to work with the NRL Group, so have committed to advertise all internal vacancies through the Forces Families Jobs website.
We understand the challenges that come with supporting family members so they can serve in the military, so are happy to consider accommodations that will allow them to build their own rewarding careers.
Today, I’m incredibly proud to mark nearly two decades at NRL – a journey that has taken me from the streets of Barnsley to a supervisory position. My path to NRL was shaped by my experiences as an infantryman, serving in challenging environments like Northern Ireland and Bosnia, where I learned the importance of resilience, adaptability, and teamwork.
Transitioning from the structured environment of the army to civilian life can be daunting, but NRL has been an invaluable ally in this journey. The company’s unwavering support, opportunities for growth, and inclusive culture have made the transition smoother and more fulfilling than I could have imagined.
From my humble beginnings as a grinding operative to my current role as a supervisor, NRL has provided me with invaluable opportunities for development and advancement. The unwavering support and encouragement from my colleagues and leadership team have played a pivotal role in my journey, and for that, I am deeply grateful. As I reflect on this milestone, I am filled with appreciation for NRL’s dedication to excellence, innovation, and inclusivity. It is truly inspiring to be part of a company that values its employees and fosters a culture of continuous growth and learning.
Steve Horbury, Grinding Supervisory Manager
The Armed Forces teaches you discipline, respect & loyalty it really is a profession like no other, so upon leaving its understandable to think that it’ll be difficult to transfer those values to another organisation and to be able to use them in the same way.
Phil Taylor, Grinding Supervisory Manager
With NRL not only was I able to use my current skill set effectively I was also able to gain the necessary experience through on the job training and taking qualifications in a classroom environment to improve my knowledge and skill set which has enabled me to have a very successful career away from the Armed Forces. There are always opportunities.
I started working for NRL in 2013 as a grinder on the London underground. Worked my way through to GSM on the national grinding contract. NRL is a company that gives you potential to better your railway career.
Alec Wright, GSM (Ground Support Maintenance)
After 22 year service in the RAF, I had reservations about working in a civvy street. What I didn’t realise was that the skill sets developed in the mob, are more than transferable and greatly valued, as the engrained discipline and work ethos the Armed Forces foster is fully welcomed by any would be employer.
After originally going down the recruitment route, I was directly employed with NRL 11 years as the Group HSE&Q Manager. This is the nearest I have come to the service comradery since leaving the mob. NRL’s values lend themselves, to the core, of those embedded by the forces. The professionalism of all the staff is second to none as they ensure the values set are continually applied in promoting individual aspirations, they work as team with drive and vigor making individuals valued and invested in.
Pat McCarthy, Compliance Manager
Register with NRL
If you’re looking for support to secure a rewarding career as you depart the military, then we’d love to support you.
You can register for an account on our website to share your CV, apply for roles and set-up job alerts.
Looking for a company to support your cadets?
We’re always keen to chat with local cadets and youth programmes where we may be able to help and support them.
Additional Support
Whether you’re preparing to leave the military or have been a veteran for some time, help is always available whenever you need it.
The Armed Forces Covenant
Support and advice
Career Transition Partnership
Resettlement support
Forces Families Jobs
Rob support
Royal British Legion
Veteran support
Veterans UK
Dedicated support
Veteran’s Gateway
Signposting the help available to you
Walking With The Wounded
Mental health and wellbeing support
Forces in Mind Trust
Supporting the transition to civilian life
Togetherall
A safe online community to improve health and wellbeing
Career advice and support
How LinkedIn can help Armed Forces leavers find jobs
For anyone who is planning to leave the Armed Forces, the prospect of finding a new career and online job searching can feel daunting. When you add tools like LinkedIn into the mix, that may be a new social media channel for many service leavers, it can be difficult to know where to start.
Writing a CV as you prepare to leave the Armed Forces
When it comes to requesting a CV from candidates who are planning their departure from the military, people often confide in us that they do not have one. That’s no surprise, especially where service leavers joined the Armed Forces in their youth, or it’s been a long time since they last undertook a job search.
Setting up an Armed Forces LinkedIn profile
When it comes to preparing to leave the Armed Forces, it’s a great idea to set-up a LinkedIn profile the help you find work. Our Social Media Marketing Manager, Jamie Finn, shares some hints and tips for getting your LinkedIn profile ready to apply for roles.