An ex-Army officer has launched a pioneering north-east initiative aimed at smoothing the path for former military personnel looking to transfer their skills into the energy industry.
Having successfully made the move himself, Magnus Jeffrey, who works as a project engineer for Aberdeen-based Senergy Development Solutions (SDS), has set up The Network Aberdeen to help other former forces staff interested in making a similar transition.
Mr Jeffrey, 33, formed the networking group to help people who have left the armed services get the information and contacts they need to get their foot in the door and learn how to adapt their knowledge to an industry crying out for skilled workers. He joined SDS, a subsidiary of energy service company Senergy, after meeting representatives at the 2011 Offshore Europe oil and gas show in Aberdeen.
It turned out that nine years working in some of the most demanding environments for the Army had equipped him well for a new role with SDS.
Mr Jeffrey said: “The hardest thing is definitely that initial step. A lot of people leave the services without relevant industry qualifications but they often have the knowledge and skills needed, as well as broader experience garnered from operational military work.”
SDS has also recently recruited another former UK infantryman, Andy Wilson, and ex-Swedish naval officer, Erik Bergman.