The British programme Lifeworks, delivered by the Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI), a national charity supporting the Armed Forces, people with disabilities and people who are unemployed, helps ex-Armed Forces personnel struggling to find work by offering tailored employability and resettlement support to veterans. The course consists of three core elements: Vocational Assessment, Employability Skills and Coaching4Change in order to equip ex-Armed Forces personnel with the skills and confidence to find and maintain an appropriate civilian job. It helps them identify appropriate work and helps them to overcome the practical and emotional barriers that prevent movement towards work.
The person-centred nature of the program allows individuals to understand and address specific needs within their situation and circumstances. The three mentioned core elements of the course allow the learner and assessor to explore the individual’s career preferences and the identification of appropriate career goals. The second part regarding Employability Skills includes CV writing, completing job application forms, interview and communication skills and helps to identify transferable skills. The module Coaching4Change focuses on understanding the effects of the imposed and chosen change, the effects of perceptions, beliefs and values on actions and understanding the value of communication. The individual and group activities enable learners to develop confidence and self-esteem.
The Lifeworks programme uses an integrated way of working by using a delivery team that combines a range of professionals. The course has already been further adapted to provide support to partners of ex-service personnel and ex-offenders by focusing more on employability and underlying issues that obstruct employability than any other specialist veteran support programs.