0:00:02 > 0:00:07If you can imagine a place where you know people are going to kill you.
0:00:07 > 0:00:08Fire!
0:00:08 > 0:00:12You know, one minute you see a bus full of kids and a family
0:00:12 > 0:00:14and that going through, and then the next...
0:00:16 > 0:00:19You see all these films, these war films and everything,
0:00:19 > 0:00:23but nothing's ever close to the real situation you're put in.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25After nearly a decade of intense fighting,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29many of our soldiers are leaving the military, but now they've
0:00:29 > 0:00:33returned, thousands are struggling to find work on civvy street.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38I fought a battle in the army and now I'm fighting a battle every day.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42I think he feels let down, really let down.
0:00:42 > 0:00:43He was willing to give his life.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47He wants to get out there and to be like every other man.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Everything that I could probably turn my hand to, I've applied to.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52I don't know why I'm not getting any work.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54It's demoralising, especially when you've got a skill
0:00:54 > 0:00:57and you can't get a job to apply it, you know?
0:00:57 > 0:00:59He's just not the same person any more.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07I'm Alex Polizzi and I want to find out why this is happening
0:01:07 > 0:01:10and what can be done about it.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12I would like to try and find you careers,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15something you can grow and develop and enjoy.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20We just all want a chance, that's all we do, we just want a chance.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23They're not out of work because they're lazy.
0:01:23 > 0:01:24I need a kick up the arse.
0:01:24 > 0:01:25'I'm here to provide it.'
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Don't make any rash decisions, and don't give up yet.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I want to do more than stand by the side of the road and wave a flag.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38I just need... just that one door to open.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Hopefully I can go out and work. I need to support my family.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45I've had my life on hold for that long now, I need to move on.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50I obviously can't guarantee anybody a job at the end of it,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53but I'm going to give it a bloody good shot.
0:02:00 > 0:02:01Plymouth in Devon,
0:02:01 > 0:02:06a city with a long military history, home to the largest Naval base in
0:02:06 > 0:02:11Western Europe and almost 19,000 ex-service personnel.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14This is what I know, here. I feel like somebody again.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22Yet even in this proud military city, ex-army man Lee Shaw has
0:02:22 > 0:02:25found himself jobless on the civilian scrapheap.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32I've got a little camping air bed bit, two sleeping bags
0:02:32 > 0:02:35and then a duvet.
0:02:35 > 0:02:36Yeah, it's bloody hard.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Slept on the back of a tank, so I can't complain, really.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40It could be worse.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Yeah, it's not too bad, gets cold in the evening,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45so the fire goes on,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47but at the moment, unluckily,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49I'm sleeping on the floor.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Lee realised a boyhood dream
0:02:51 > 0:02:53when he joined the Royal Tank Regiment at just 19
0:02:53 > 0:02:58and saw active service when he was part of the first wave of soldiers
0:02:58 > 0:03:00who took Basra in the Iraq war.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04But a few days after his 21st birthday on a tour of Kosovo,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07he witnessed a scene that would turn his life upside down.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11- NEWSREADER:- The bus was ripped apart by a remote controlled bomb.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14There were 50 on board, among them women and children.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Seven passengers died at the scene. More than 40 were injured.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24The first thing that I saw on the floor was a shoe with a foot in it,
0:03:24 > 0:03:29and the foot was still smoking, like a sausage on a barbecue.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31You know, bodies all over the place, there was
0:03:31 > 0:03:36a women with half of her face missing, just hanging on with skin.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Yeah, I remember it vividly, it just hasn't left.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42I want it to bloody leave, but it just won't seem to go.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53My brother had gone out to Kosovo, but my brother hadn't come back.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55You can see it in his eyes.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59You know, that little special glint that my brother had
0:03:59 > 0:04:01will probably never come back.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04He's just not the same person any more.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11In 2009, after a decade of service,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Lee was medically discharged with post-traumatic stress disorder
0:04:15 > 0:04:20or PTSD. Since then, on civvy street, he's struggled to find work.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23He's been knocked back a lot with trying to find a job.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29In six years, I've probably applied for close to 250, maybe,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31300 jobs, I've applied for.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34I've tried to re-train myself.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37It is just an uphill struggle at the moment, I've kind of hit a plateau
0:04:37 > 0:04:40where everything's just not moving the way I want it to move.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45I just need... just that one door to open,
0:04:45 > 0:04:50and then things will then, no doubt, fall into place.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52If that door can open, it'll be fantastic.
0:04:56 > 0:05:02It's one o'clock, take my medication and I thought I'd show a video.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07There's this for sleeping
0:05:07 > 0:05:09and this for the other stuff.
0:05:11 > 0:05:17I've come across this guy, Lee Shaw, who's doing a PTSD diary.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21He was medically discharged from the army in 2009,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25and he's still not working, and so it seems obvious to me
0:05:25 > 0:05:30that that is at least a significant reason for him being unemployed.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35Lee isn't alone, it's believed there are 120,000 unemployed veterans
0:05:35 > 0:05:39in Britain of working age, who just can't get a break on civvy street.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43To understand this better, I've contacted Lee,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47and he's agreed to give me a first-hand account of his experience.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53Lee's Twitter feed kind of reveals what the man is thinking,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57and again and again there are comments about his joblessness.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01"I think, I know I keep moaning about how bloody hard it is to get a job,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04"four and a half years now, getting a bit of a joke."
0:06:04 > 0:06:09So this is a year and a half ago, he was already then feeling miserable.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12"Need a spot of luck, mine has all gone."
0:06:13 > 0:06:17This is someone who's served his country for ten years.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21I mean, it's terrible to think that aged 30 or so...
0:06:22 > 0:06:26..he just can't find anyone who's going to give him a chance.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Lee's now living off his army pension and benefits
0:06:31 > 0:06:34in a council flat after separating from his wife.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37I don't want to be, you know, another statistic that lives off the bloody system,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40far from it, you know, I hate it.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42You know, I've always worked.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Yeah, I don't want to be like this for the rest of my bloody life,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48good God, no, I'd be in an earlier grave if I stayed like this.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50It is depressing, living like this.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52That's prefect, thanks, darling.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54'I'm hoping Lee will let me work with him,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57'so that I can start to understand what's going wrong.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59'Not only for him,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02'but for the many veterans who feel rejected now they are home.'
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- Hi.- Hi, Alex, nice to meet you, come in.- Nice to meet you too.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- Come on in to my work in progress. - May I?
0:07:09 > 0:07:13- Yeah, yeah, come on in.- Thank you. - To my humble room at the moment.
0:07:13 > 0:07:14Well, you've got a bed.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19I have, finally, which is fantastic. That took...
0:07:19 > 0:07:21That arrived on the same day when I got the furniture.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22How did you get it?
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Through charities, forces charities,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29and without them it's kind of...a struggle.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34The front room, doing my feature wall with a nice chocolate brown,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36that's still a work in progress.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38This whole flat's really a work in progress.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41I know, but you've got a telly, computer, you've got a sofa,
0:07:41 > 0:07:45- I mean, you've got the elements here that you need, don't you?- Yeah.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- And this?- Cambrai 2000. This was my first ever Cambrai, which is
0:07:48 > 0:07:50a battle honour that we've got.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53What's the difference between you there and you now?
0:07:53 > 0:07:56When I was in the army,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58I was indestructible.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01You know, my wife used to say that I was Captain Scarlett.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04She wanted to get me a toy of it and everything,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08but then I was more outgoing, more confident.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13You know, nothing fazed me when I was in the army.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Am I right in understanding that you've sent off an enormous number
0:08:17 > 0:08:22of job applications, but you very rarely get to the interview stage?
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Not even a reply back, either, saying, "Thanks, but no thanks,"
0:08:26 > 0:08:29and trying to pick yourself up from that, it's quite hard to do, because
0:08:29 > 0:08:32I know a lot of guys who suffer from PTSD -
0:08:32 > 0:08:36once we get into a little cycle, it's hard to break that cycle
0:08:36 > 0:08:39because the job I had last year,
0:08:39 > 0:08:44I had a turn at work, an episode, I had two weeks' sick leave,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46and they kind of said,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49"Thanks, but no, thanks. The job's no longer there."
0:08:49 > 0:08:52So when you had a turn at work, what happened?
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Er... You know when people get claustrophobic
0:08:55 > 0:08:58and everything comes in around them, that's what it was,
0:08:58 > 0:09:03like the whole world was caving in, just crying. I very rarely cry,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05if I cry, I cry by myself, not in front of everybody.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Are you clear about your PTSD on your CV?
0:09:07 > 0:09:10No, I don't put it on there.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12So that isn't something that's...
0:09:12 > 0:09:14- No, no.- ..putting people off.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I mean, if they ask if I've got anything, I'll tell them,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19but if they don't ask, I don't tell them.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Many veterans claim there is a perception that they've
0:09:25 > 0:09:28returned from war mad, bad or sad.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32But if Lee isn't disclosing his PTSD to employers, then there must be
0:09:32 > 0:09:36another reason why he's been knocked back for over 200 jobs.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41I'd like to have a look at your CV, go through it with you.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48There's not many jobs where it's going to be useful to someone
0:09:48 > 0:09:53that you've got an advanced gunnery Challenger 2 and GPMG
0:09:53 > 0:09:56and jungle warfare, as sexy as it sounds,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58doesn't have any place on this CV,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02whereas there are some that should be right at the top of that list.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06You need to point out how those skills are transferable.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09I'm quite keen to help you get your confidence back
0:10:09 > 0:10:11and press the reset button,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14and forget about the 200 plus jobs you've applied for.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17You've just got to draw a line under it - that was then,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20this is now and we're only looking forward.
0:10:20 > 0:10:21OK?
0:10:24 > 0:10:25- All right?- Lovely. Thanks, Alex.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- Look forward to our next meeting. - Likewise.- Thanks.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31It's going to give me a kick up the ass, a bit of positivity,
0:10:31 > 0:10:33to push me in the right direction,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35definitely. It'll be nice.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40I imagine that Lee is not unique in this position.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43This must be the same set of problems that
0:10:43 > 0:10:47many veterans are facing when they leave the armed forces.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51The combination of no work, lack of structure
0:10:51 > 0:10:55because they don't have a job, readjusting to civilian life,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57having to learn everything,
0:10:57 > 0:11:01because the army teaches learned helplessness, which is that
0:11:01 > 0:11:03it looks after you completely.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07It cooks your meals, it pays your bills, it does your laundry.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Having to start to do that for yourself all over again
0:11:10 > 0:11:13must be a very hard hill to climb.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20In the last five years, MoD redundancies
0:11:20 > 0:11:23and the drawdown from Afghanistan have seen many
0:11:23 > 0:11:27thousands of veterans land on civvy street in need of work.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30I think it's hard not to feel passionately about guys
0:11:30 > 0:11:33who are coming back who've seen some terrible things,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36who are then struggling to readjust to civilian life.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39That's what first caught my interest, reading first-hand accounts
0:11:39 > 0:11:42of people who kind of felt like they'd left the armed forces
0:11:42 > 0:11:44and that they were somehow washed up, finished,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47that their lives were over, that no-one was interested in them.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50One way or another, they've either fought or were prepared to
0:11:50 > 0:11:54fight a battle, and they shouldn't be fighting a battle at home.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58So, my aim is a very practical one, to try
0:11:58 > 0:12:03and make sure that those people, who are, after all, very highly skilled,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06very highly trained in the armed forces,
0:12:06 > 0:12:11find an outlet, a use for all that training in their future lives.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14The more I look into this issue,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17the more I hope I can make a real difference.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20I have a plan to work with a council to try
0:12:20 > 0:12:22and run a pilot scheme in one city
0:12:22 > 0:12:25aimed at getting veterans jobs.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27But I also want to work directly with a small
0:12:27 > 0:12:31unit of unemployed veterans I can personally mentor back into work.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36"Around one in 25 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars
0:12:36 > 0:12:37"are likely to develop PTSD.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41"Furthermore, it often occurs along other medical problems
0:12:41 > 0:12:43"such as pain, disability and substance misuse."
0:12:45 > 0:12:49My focus in that unit will be men who suffer with PTSD.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52As well as being personally interested in the condition,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55they also seem to be the ones who face the biggest
0:12:55 > 0:12:56obstacles in getting jobs.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08In Saltburn by the Sea,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10I've come across another veteran blighted by PTSD.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Some of my memorabilia from my past.
0:13:18 > 0:13:2023-year-old guardsman.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Phil's plight captured my interest
0:13:24 > 0:13:27when I learnt about his distinguished military career.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31To be a pallbearer at Princess Diana's funeral was just
0:13:31 > 0:13:33such an honour to be chosen.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38One of the days I will never forget and cherish for the rest of my life.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43I remember that bloke, I do, I remember him...
0:13:45 > 0:13:47..but I'm not him any more.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Phil served four years in the Horse Guards
0:13:51 > 0:13:53and 11 in the Royal Engineers.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55He served in Iraq
0:13:55 > 0:13:58and survived intense front-line combat in Afghanistan.
0:14:00 > 0:14:05If you could imagine being put into a place where you know
0:14:05 > 0:14:07people are going to kill you.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11You're just waiting for a vehicle to blow up,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14waiting if it's going to be your vehicle or not.
0:14:14 > 0:14:15It was hell on Earth.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19It's always up in there.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23You always remember it, you never forget it, and it's hard.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28He has nightmares, he has a lot of nightmares and he shakes.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30He smashed the trophies
0:14:30 > 0:14:33he's got from the army in temper,
0:14:33 > 0:14:34because he's just been
0:14:34 > 0:14:36so, you know, upset.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40As well as battling mental ill health,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Phil is coming to terms with life as an amputee.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48I've sustained multiple injuries. I couldn't hardly walk,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51so they said, "You will have a better quality of life
0:14:51 > 0:14:53"with an amputation."
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Phil suffers debilitating nerve pain in his leg,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01which has affected his ability to work. He is awaiting a final
0:15:01 > 0:15:05operation which he hopes will allow him to move on with his life.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08It'll be good to see you going out of that door in the morning,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11and then coming back at night and being full of work talk.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16He has lost his motivation, being sat at home all the time.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18He wants to get work.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20He'll be so much happier.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27He needs a job so badly, so very, very badly,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31and maybe then we can stop worrying.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34I just want him happy. I just want him HAPPY.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39I just want to be a normal person,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and be able to go out and work
0:15:42 > 0:15:46like a normal person does, and fends for his family,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48and...that's what I want.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53It is thought one in five veterans of the wars in Iraq
0:15:53 > 0:15:57and Afghanistan have some kind of mental illness.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01Although it may have an impact on their suitability for certain jobs,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04it shouldn't be stopping these veterans finding new careers.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06I've invited Phil and Lee to London
0:16:06 > 0:16:10so I can start helping them to find jobs.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Joining them to form my small unit of recruits are two other
0:16:13 > 0:16:17ex-soldiers, also medically discharged with mental illness.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Stuart, an infantryman, who was discharged last year,
0:16:20 > 0:16:24and Shaun, a private in the Royal Signals, who left 15 years ago.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28All these men come from different regiments,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31they did different jobs, they left the army at different times
0:16:31 > 0:16:34and they were in for different amounts of times,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38but they share this one common problem, which is that they
0:16:38 > 0:16:39have not been able to find a job.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43I'm looking forward to just starting a new life outside
0:16:43 > 0:16:46the military, really, just leaving it behind.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49It's going to be a challenge, a good challenge, though.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53I'm determined to try and ready these guys for the job market,
0:16:53 > 0:16:57although I'm not yet 100% sure of the best way of doing it.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00It's quite a tough, intractable problem.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04I obviously can't guarantee anybody a job at the end of it,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06but I'm going to give it a bloody good shot.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09Gentlemen!
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Good morning, thank you so much for coming to meet me here.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Hopefully you're going to find it a productive day.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19I've been looking into why people leave the military and then
0:17:19 > 0:17:24don't get into work, but I'd love to hear your opinion of why that is.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27I think it's just how they perceive us.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29It's like you're a mass murderer just come out of prison
0:17:29 > 0:17:32kind of thing, like you're going to kill everybody.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34- They look as though you're a liability.- Yeah.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36- That's the sad thing, isn't it? - Yes, it is.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Because the longer it goes on without someone giving you
0:17:38 > 0:17:41that chance, the more your confidence takes a knock,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44and then the less able you are to present yourself properly.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47I feel like I've been running around like a headless chicken
0:17:47 > 0:17:50for the last 15 years, you know, not really getting any
0:17:50 > 0:17:54good advice, not getting proper direction, you know.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56I would like to try and find you careers,
0:17:56 > 0:18:00something that you actually think that you could grow and develop
0:18:00 > 0:18:04and enjoy, because that is what work is all about.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07- Self-worth.- Something that makes you want to get up in the morning.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Yes, and my sense of self-worth is really tied up in what I do,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13and it seems obvious to me that the first thing we need to sort out is
0:18:13 > 0:18:17your CVs, because that is the first thing that lands on someone's desk.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20My first task is drawing up CVs
0:18:20 > 0:18:23that stand a fighting chance of not being binned.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26These guys' self-esteem is at rock bottom. They'll struggle to
0:18:26 > 0:18:29sell themselves, so I've recruited some specialist help.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Hi, how nice to meet you.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34This is the gang all together.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37'Andrew spent four years in army recruitment
0:18:37 > 0:18:41'and now helps persuade companies of the value of veterans.'
0:18:41 > 0:18:46What we found was that lots of employers want to hire you,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50but don't understand the skills, experience, and the knowledge
0:18:50 > 0:18:55that you've got and today's focus is all about skills.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58We'll start by looking at the jobs that you've done in the military,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02and then convert those into the language of a commercial employer
0:19:02 > 0:19:05and then build up a CV from that.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07All right, well, let's get to work.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14They're not out of work because they're lazy. They want a job,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17they just, in a way, can't work out what
0:19:17 > 0:19:21they need to do to get to that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25We need to give businesses a reason to employ these men.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Which is where I hope Andrew's team can help.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32What makes it really tough is that most veterans have only ever
0:19:32 > 0:19:36had one employer and have no idea how military skills might translate
0:19:36 > 0:19:38to the civilian job market.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Career history, examples below,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43do it in reverse chronological with the most recent at top.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Stuart joined up at 16, straight from school,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50and went on to win
0:19:50 > 0:19:52a clutch of medals for his army service.
0:19:52 > 0:19:5614 years on, civvy street might as well be the moon.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00"Full amount outstanding 154" - that must be the whole year, is it?
0:20:01 > 0:20:05See, I don't know that. I don't understand it, really.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07When you're a child, they do everything for you -
0:20:07 > 0:20:10the army's the same, it does everything for you.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13You get used to it, I suppose, after you've done so long in there,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16and you come out and you're like,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19"Whoa, actually I need to do this myself.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21"How do I do this?"
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Stuart left the army a year ago, medically discharged with PTSD.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28The military is the only life he's ever known as an adult.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33At the time, building up to getting discharged, I thought
0:20:33 > 0:20:36all I needed to do was be away from the army and it would solve
0:20:36 > 0:20:39all my problems, and then I got discharged
0:20:39 > 0:20:41and it made them... It escalated.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44It felt weird, it felt as if
0:20:44 > 0:20:49this whole network that was helping us just evaporated,
0:20:49 > 0:20:50and then it was just me.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59I went the wrong path, shall we say,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01substance abuse, alcohol abuse,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03spiralled out of control.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06I spent 30,000 in about four months.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Things got so bad, earlier this year Stuart was hospitalised to battle
0:21:13 > 0:21:18his addictions. He's since moved to specialist veterans' accommodation.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24But even with support, he remains apprehensive about what lies ahead.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Lennox is my best mate.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31He's all I've got at the minute and I'm all he's got, really.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36He's the best company I've got out here at the minute.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41I won't know if I'll ever feel comfortable on civvy street
0:21:41 > 0:21:43until I'm properly in work
0:21:43 > 0:21:47and I've had a good couple of years in work and on civvy street.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53A little nervous, because it's a new chapter, isn't it, in my life?
0:21:56 > 0:22:01As new people were joining your platoon,
0:22:01 > 0:22:06they would have started to learn from you, as a role model,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08all that sort of stuff.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11- I've never been seen as a role model before.- Have you not?- No!
0:22:11 > 0:22:13I think you probably were -
0:22:13 > 0:22:18role model/mentor maybe, if that's more comfortable for you.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Yeah, "mentor" sounds better.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23- Finding out a lot about myself. - HE CHUCKLES
0:22:23 > 0:22:27She can go through my career in the military,
0:22:27 > 0:22:29and what she can pick out and
0:22:29 > 0:22:32actually translate into civilian-speak.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34I've actually got quite a lot of key skills
0:22:34 > 0:22:36where I didn't think I had any.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39This little bit of information here,
0:22:39 > 0:22:43- we've drawn out from your military experience.- Yes, yes.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45So what have we got, then?
0:22:45 > 0:22:47My final recruit, Shaun Bellerby,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49has been out of the Army for 15 years,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53and throughout that time has struggled to find work.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57- Have you found it useful? - It's been really productive, yeah, been a really good day.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00I think I've been setting my bar a little bit low.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02I've been, you know, in a rut -
0:23:02 > 0:23:04thinking painting, decorating, painting, decorating -
0:23:04 > 0:23:07and not actually thinking what are the qualities
0:23:07 > 0:23:10I've actually gained over the years, you know,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14which I could use to my advantage to, you know, further my career.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16It's good that you've had this boost
0:23:16 > 0:23:19cos there are still things going to happen that knock you...
0:23:19 > 0:23:23- Yeah.- ..but if you start with a solid platform,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25and even if it's only baby steps,
0:23:25 > 0:23:26we need to start making them,
0:23:26 > 0:23:30so that you don't feel stuck in that rut where you are at the moment.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Yeah, definitely. That's where I've been for the last 15 years,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35I've just hit a certain level
0:23:35 > 0:23:38and never really seen past that level. You know?
0:23:38 > 0:23:40- It's really been an eye-opener. - Good.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44I thought you said you were going to TRY and play(!)
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Shaun lives in the same supported housing unit as Stuart.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53It's very much like living in the military here,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55it's like living back in the block.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57It's erm...simple, and lifeless.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Tend to like... put things in places, you know,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06and like, one of them, you know, is your typical example...
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Wallet and passport as always stashed behind the door for some reason.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16I think that's from the Army as well, like - just tucking things away.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18A training accident in 2000
0:24:18 > 0:24:22left Shaun with mental health issues and ended his Army career.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27Back then there was little support for those who left service early.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29He turned to painting and decorating to earn a living,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31taking jobs across the country.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34But his PTSD followed.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36It's like my life just basically fell apart,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39cos of all the issues I've actually had from the Army, you know -
0:24:39 > 0:24:41lost my business, lost my house,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43lost my girlfriend and whatnot.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Yeah. Everything...
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Everything just turned into a bag of shit, basically.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53Shaun now works voluntarily in the community.
0:24:53 > 0:24:54Taking these jobs on, like,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57it keeps my mind occupied, keeps ME occupied.
0:24:57 > 0:24:58I'm not lazing around,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02getting in a rut, you know, I'm keeping myself motivated.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Yeah, it is difficult being out of work, and it's demoralising.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Especially when you've got a skill
0:25:07 > 0:25:10and you can't get a job to apply it, you know?
0:25:10 > 0:25:12It's frustrating.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17A job would actually bring us a lot of stability to my life.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Be a bit more money.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22A lot of satisfaction. It gives us purpose, doesn't it?
0:25:22 > 0:25:25It gives you a reason for getting up in the morning.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27You feel like you've got a place in the world.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32May I...?
0:25:32 > 0:25:34'I'm just starting to understand my veterans' issues.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36'But Andrew has worked with many ex-service personnel
0:25:36 > 0:25:40'who have struggled to re-integrate once home.'
0:25:40 > 0:25:44I'd love to know what YOU think the barriers to...
0:25:44 > 0:25:47achieving a work place are.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51To me it's just about joining the dots - on one side of the equation
0:25:51 > 0:25:54there are hundreds of employers with thousands of jobs.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55On the other side of the equation,
0:25:55 > 0:25:59there are thousands of ex-military people LOOKING for jobs.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02That SHOULD balance, but it's not balancing.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06We spend a lot of time talking to employers about education and training,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10and convincing THEM that an ex-military person
0:26:10 > 0:26:13can add value and is perhaps not the risk
0:26:13 > 0:26:15that they might perceive them to be.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19We know that employers value ANY good person,
0:26:19 > 0:26:24and are very willing to support ex-members of the armed forces -
0:26:24 > 0:26:27it's the joining the dots in the middle that I think is
0:26:27 > 0:26:30where we need to really focus attention.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Thank you, guys.
0:26:38 > 0:26:39- Thanks a lot. Good luck. - Thank you so much.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42- Really lovely to meet you. We'll see you again.- And you.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Maybe see you up Geordieland or something.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48It just shows how important it is
0:26:48 > 0:26:50that they get the right help
0:26:50 > 0:26:52where they need it and when they need it.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57- Good to meet you.- Mate, that's perfect, yeah. Fantastic.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59It's scary how good that is.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01I'm under no illusions, there's a long way to go,
0:27:01 > 0:27:06but I do finally feel I've got my foot on the path, at least.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08'But if I'm going to get my recruits jobs,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11'then I need to get an employer's perspective.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17'Although there are thousands of unemployed veterans,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21'a few businesses are actively trying to recruit them.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24'Over the past 18 months, construction giant Skanska
0:27:24 > 0:27:27'has had a recruitment drive, focusing ON veterans.'
0:27:29 > 0:27:33How did this engagement with veterans come about?
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Everybody's competing for a shrinking pool of talent,
0:27:36 > 0:27:40good quality people become much harder to find.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42So one of the things that we were thinking about is
0:27:42 > 0:27:45what are the non-traditional sources of people
0:27:45 > 0:27:48that might be open to us, that would have good skills
0:27:48 > 0:27:50that we could use in our business?
0:27:50 > 0:27:54And the military, because we knew it was going to be downsizing
0:27:54 > 0:27:57as we were starting to recruit, seemed to be a good fit.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59How did the HR department
0:27:59 > 0:28:03learn to look beyond that obvious first glance at a CV?
0:28:03 > 0:28:08Actually what we did is we used the ex-military people that we already have, to help us,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11because actually if you think about it, it's obvious, isn't it -
0:28:11 > 0:28:13the person who can help you decode it
0:28:13 > 0:28:16are the people that you've already hired from that background,
0:28:16 > 0:28:17so we work quite closely with them.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20And it's actually looking at what the core skills
0:28:20 > 0:28:22that are required for the role are,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25and then having an open mind
0:28:25 > 0:28:28in terms of where those skills might come from and how they might match.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32'One veteran who's benefited from this company's proactive approach
0:28:32 > 0:28:37'is Jamie, a former Royal Marine Commando with 22 years' full service.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40'You'd think he'd have no trouble finding work.'
0:28:40 > 0:28:42When I left Afghanistan,
0:28:42 > 0:28:46I applied for 217 jobs in three months, and had no interviews.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50- None? - None. No interviews whatsoever.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53I cannot imagine how frustrating and upsetting it must have been.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55It was frustrating, it got to the point where
0:28:55 > 0:28:58I was sitting in the car in the car park,
0:28:58 > 0:29:00my e-mail went off on my phone, opened up the phone,
0:29:00 > 0:29:03and again there was another three negative responses
0:29:03 > 0:29:05and I just basically broke down in tears.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10So why do you think your CV
0:29:10 > 0:29:11was successful at this company
0:29:11 > 0:29:13when it hadn't been successful anywhere else?
0:29:13 > 0:29:17They see the benefits of a military person,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20they see the benefits of leadership, command, discipline.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24The fact is I have no technical skills - I'm a Royal Marine,
0:29:24 > 0:29:28and my job was to stick bayonets in people. If I'm harsh.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31They were happy that they would take me on and train me.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35And also, I'm one of the lucky ones - you know, I'm not injured.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37I have found myself a good career, you know.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39And there is a difference -
0:29:39 > 0:29:40if you asked me that question
0:29:40 > 0:29:44and I WAS one of the injured guys or if I WAS suffering from a mental health problem,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46perhaps my answer would have been different.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51It has to be significant that Jamie came out
0:29:51 > 0:29:55without any kind of injury, whether physical or mental,
0:29:55 > 0:29:57and yet he still found it so hard to transition.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59You can only imagine
0:29:59 > 0:30:01the kind of trouble someone would have
0:30:01 > 0:30:04with an obvious injury, or an invisible injury.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08But just as we seem to be up and running,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11the veteran I think is most civvy street-ready
0:30:11 > 0:30:12is stopped in his tracks.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20The operation Phil has been desperately waiting for
0:30:20 > 0:30:21has been delayed.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26I think the letdown of the operation has set me back,
0:30:26 > 0:30:28and it might not seem very much,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31and I know it happens to a lot of people, but, erm...
0:30:31 > 0:30:33I find with my PTSD,
0:30:33 > 0:30:35once you get let down,
0:30:35 > 0:30:37it takes a lot out of you.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40And it takes a lot to get that...
0:30:40 > 0:30:42ambition back up and running again.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47- 'Hi.'- Hello.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49'How are you?'
0:30:49 > 0:30:53Been through the mill a bit with this bloody operation.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55I haven't done much with the CV at the moment.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57'Why not?'
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Erm... Haven't been in the right frame of mind, Alex.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02It's been, erm... With the medication...
0:31:02 > 0:31:04'A bit demotivated?'
0:31:04 > 0:31:06Yeah. Need a kick up the arse.
0:31:06 > 0:31:07'I'm here to provide it.'
0:31:07 > 0:31:10- Yeah?- 'Yes. I have my kicking foot ready.'
0:31:10 > 0:31:14Oh, brilliant! You can borrow one of mine if you want.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17'My dad always says - because he's a writer -
0:31:17 > 0:31:19'he says "If you don't get it right, just get it done
0:31:19 > 0:31:21- '"and then you can fiddle with it."' - Yes.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23'Even if you're not in the mood,
0:31:23 > 0:31:27'just make yourself for half an hour a day do this bloody CV.'
0:31:27 > 0:31:30- Yeah.- 'Cos without that, where do we...
0:31:30 > 0:31:32'You've got to give me the tools to help you.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35- Yes, I will. - 'And that is a primary tool.'
0:31:35 > 0:31:38Well, I'll make you a promise now -
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- 'OK.'- You will have my CV within two weeks.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44- 'OK, good. That's really good.' - OK?
0:31:50 > 0:31:51I'm just looking through the box now
0:31:51 > 0:31:54for some of my qualifications and stuff
0:31:54 > 0:31:57so I can introduce them to my CVs.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59On this one, it's got
0:31:59 > 0:32:03"Recommended for troop recce sergeant or an instructor."
0:32:07 > 0:32:09By doing this now,
0:32:09 > 0:32:13it's getting me off my backside and...
0:32:13 > 0:32:14and doing something about it.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18Brave words - but it is yet another setback.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22I've asked all the guys to write up their CVs.
0:32:22 > 0:32:23It's a complete first for some,
0:32:23 > 0:32:27and I'm concerned that their confidence can be easily dented.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30Right, this is the stuff from London...
0:32:31 > 0:32:33She picked out loads of key skills that I'd have -
0:32:33 > 0:32:35"Willing to travel", I mean...
0:32:35 > 0:32:38I wouldn't have thought about putting anything like that on a...
0:32:38 > 0:32:43Just need to get a computer so I can get it wrote up.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Going to need help with that.
0:32:46 > 0:32:47- 'Hello...'- Hi, Alex.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49'How are you feeling?'
0:32:49 > 0:32:53I'm good. Quite a high standard now with my CV, so
0:32:53 > 0:32:54that's coming on really well.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57So probably looking at employment and looking at...
0:32:57 > 0:33:01going further up the career ladder into something like management.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04'So, why don't you just spend the next couple of weeks
0:33:04 > 0:33:08- 'chasing down job prospects that there are...'- Yeah.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11'..so that we know that there's those kind of positions vacant.'
0:33:11 > 0:33:12Yep, yep. No problem.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15- 'OK?'- Yeah. Brilliant, I'll get to work on that straight away.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22On my old CV,
0:33:22 > 0:33:26it said "tank driver, tank gunner and tank loader".
0:33:26 > 0:33:28But now it says "tank driver, gunner, British Army"
0:33:28 > 0:33:32and the responsibilities I had and the achievements that I had.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34So it's a massive improvement.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36And now it's the first print-off.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39Fingers crossed the printer works, actually!
0:33:44 > 0:33:47It looks like it's off centre...
0:33:50 > 0:33:52- No, it's right. - HE CHUCKLES
0:33:52 > 0:33:54Here we go.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56Finally have a CV now.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Alex was talking about doing placements.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05It would be good to get kind of back into the routine of work.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08Yeah, I'm going to take these...
0:34:08 > 0:34:12You know, I'm going to really use these placements, 110%.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Now my team is cracking on,
0:34:15 > 0:34:16I'm widening my focus
0:34:16 > 0:34:20in an attempt to have an impact on a whole city's worth of veterans,
0:34:20 > 0:34:22and it really shouldn't be so hard.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24Whether it's the schools you send your children to,
0:34:24 > 0:34:27whether it's the health care that you can expect,
0:34:27 > 0:34:30I want all of these things refreshed and renewed
0:34:30 > 0:34:33and written down in a new military covenant.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37In 2011, the Government made a pledge
0:34:37 > 0:34:40to offer more support to the armed forces.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Two years on, they asked companies to join them
0:34:44 > 0:34:46by signing up to the corporate covenant.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51"The armed forces corporate covenant.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53"We, the undersigned, commit to honour the armed forces covenant
0:34:53 > 0:34:55"and support the armed forces community.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58"We recognise the value serving personnel,
0:34:58 > 0:34:59"both regular and reservist veterans
0:34:59 > 0:35:03"and military families, contribute to our business and our country."
0:35:03 > 0:35:04It's a way to encourage
0:35:04 > 0:35:07the groundswell of support that there are
0:35:07 > 0:35:10for serving military personnel and veterans,
0:35:10 > 0:35:12which is completely right.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15However, my feeling is
0:35:15 > 0:35:18that is doesn't really sign me up to anything.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20This is not me bashing the MoD,
0:35:20 > 0:35:23or in fact the businesses that sign up to this.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27I think there's an enor... You know, people want to do what is right.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31It is just that it is so kind of woolly and amorphous...
0:35:31 > 0:35:33There's no accountability, there's no policing of it -
0:35:33 > 0:35:36I might as well walk around with a T-shirt saying,
0:35:36 > 0:35:37"I love the armed forces",
0:35:37 > 0:35:40It's not really worth the piece of paper I'm signing
0:35:40 > 0:35:42because it's got no teeth to it.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46As I understand it, although every council in the country
0:35:46 > 0:35:49has signed up to the armed forces covenant,
0:35:49 > 0:35:51only in Lee's home city of Plymouth
0:35:51 > 0:35:53has the council created a dedicated group
0:35:53 > 0:35:55involving local businesses.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57It's called the corporate covenant group,
0:35:57 > 0:35:59and they've agreed to work with me
0:35:59 > 0:36:02to create a plan for how all unemployed veterans here
0:36:02 > 0:36:04can find jobs in the area.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08We're currently looking at launching our work experience programme,
0:36:08 > 0:36:12which is aimed at the defence sector predominately...
0:36:12 > 0:36:16If it works here, it could work elsewhere too.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19There are lots of companies that we are aware of,
0:36:19 > 0:36:20if you look on the MoD website,
0:36:20 > 0:36:23- who have signed the covenant at a national level.- Yeah.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26And for us, what we're interested in is
0:36:26 > 0:36:29how does that translate at local level?
0:36:29 > 0:36:32It can be quite easy to sign a piece of paper,
0:36:32 > 0:36:34but actually to make that work,
0:36:34 > 0:36:36you have to have those dedicated people
0:36:36 > 0:36:38right there in your own communities.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40I think you've got to put
0:36:40 > 0:36:43some commitment into it and have some background
0:36:43 > 0:36:44rather than just pledging to it,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46which is not necessarily that good,
0:36:46 > 0:36:48you have to...to an extent
0:36:48 > 0:36:51prove that you're involved in it and going to make some difference.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55I'm taking a very pragmatic approach, which is ultimately probably
0:36:55 > 0:36:57companies will only stay involved when...
0:36:57 > 0:36:59as and when they see the benefits to them, as well.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04To be brutally honest, one of the main reasons for us
0:37:04 > 0:37:06is because recruitment's really important.
0:37:06 > 0:37:07Yes, well, I love that.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09That's why I came to the table, thinking, well,
0:37:09 > 0:37:13maybe this is a good way to deal with the recruitment crisis.
0:37:13 > 0:37:14Mm. And the more people who do it,
0:37:14 > 0:37:17the more you can show examples of where it's worked,
0:37:17 > 0:37:19which gives people more confidence to think
0:37:19 > 0:37:21actually, this IS really worth doing.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24The difficulty we would always find,
0:37:24 > 0:37:27again, is finding these people. Just knowing that they exist.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30I'm dealing with someone who's been out of the services for six years,
0:37:30 > 0:37:33and has sent out 200 job applications
0:37:33 > 0:37:36and has only got to interview stage twice.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39So that's quite debilitating and quite demoralising.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43What I'm trying to get for him is a placement -
0:37:43 > 0:37:45no job guarantee at the end of it,
0:37:45 > 0:37:48I'm just trying to get him back into doing something.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51What we're looking at doing is basically getting him back in the game.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53Just any... Just back in the game.
0:37:53 > 0:37:54Yeah.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57- That's all I'm...- Well, we're in.- OK.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59That's really, really helpful.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06Have you got a card? Can I e-mail you...?
0:38:07 > 0:38:09'I've got no idea'
0:38:09 > 0:38:11why Plymouth is the only council with this kind of group,
0:38:11 > 0:38:14it's clearly needed, for this whole idea to work.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19Unless there IS someone coordinating and holding companies to account,
0:38:19 > 0:38:22then I wouldn't be surprised if nothing's happening at all.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Bit more detail about some of the stuff.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27- Great!- But it's only a copy for you, cos no-one else has seen it yet.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29- I promise I'll be good.- Thank you.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32The group all seem very well intentioned,
0:38:32 > 0:38:35and certainly quite passionate and very articulate
0:38:35 > 0:38:38about the issues and problems.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41I have no idea how much of that is translatable
0:38:41 > 0:38:42into cold, hard jobs.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47I'm happy I might have an opening for Lee,
0:38:47 > 0:38:48though it's not a little ironic
0:38:48 > 0:38:51that all this time he's been just down the road,
0:38:51 > 0:38:52desperate for work.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54I've got my notepad and pen -
0:38:54 > 0:38:57all good squaddies always have a pen and a notepad.
0:38:57 > 0:38:58It's a very big day for me.
0:38:58 > 0:39:03First day back into a job environment, or a workplace.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06I'll probably get nervous and a bit apprehensive when I get there,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09but I won't show that. I'm too professional for that.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18He's been offered something that's a real opportunity for him
0:39:18 > 0:39:20and I think it's incredibly important -
0:39:20 > 0:39:22he's been out of significant employment for so long,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25that he needs to get some routine back into his life,
0:39:25 > 0:39:27he needs to learn how to interact with colleagues.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29And more than anything else,
0:39:29 > 0:39:31he needs to get his confidence back.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38It is a bit like the first day in the Army.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41You know, getting all your new shiny stuff and...
0:39:41 > 0:39:44your free clothes that you get in the Army.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48There. Ready to rock and roll. Take on the world.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56Lee's joining the 40-strong team that maintains Plymouth's highways.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58- I'll go in the middle, it's your truck.- Yeah.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01His supervisor Andy was also in the forces,
0:40:01 > 0:40:03and like Lee, found transition tough.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06My biggest problem for me was
0:40:06 > 0:40:09when you come to leave the Army, you don't know what's out there,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11you don't know what type of jobs there are.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13You know, we've been mollycoddled in the Army by
0:40:13 > 0:40:17getting told what to do. You come out and you've got to start thinking for yourself.
0:40:19 > 0:40:24As part of the team, Lee's job is to clean up to 120 gullies a day.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Yeah, so I've shown you the first gully,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29if you want to go ahead and try it for yourself.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34It's not glamorous,
0:40:34 > 0:40:36but Lee operated heavy machinery in the military,
0:40:36 > 0:40:39so this should be a good fit.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43Is it weird that I'm enjoying this - cleaning up drains?
0:40:45 > 0:40:49I'm getting on all right today, it's nice to be in a routine again.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51Sort of work I like doing, it's physical.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54Outdoors... Perfect.
0:40:54 > 0:40:55Perfect job.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58And being part of a team again, that's what I've enjoyed here.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09But on day three of Lee's placement, he doesn't show up.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14Hi, Lee, it's Paul Anderson of Amey's. How are you doing?
0:41:14 > 0:41:16INDISTINCT REPLY OVER PHONE
0:41:16 > 0:41:19Right, OK. Well, I won't pry,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21cos it's none of my business.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24Ten days... Right. OK.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26OK, Lee. All right.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28Cheers. All the best.
0:41:28 > 0:41:29Bye.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Hmm.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36What Lee's saying to me
0:41:36 > 0:41:38is that he's got some "stuff" to square away -
0:41:38 > 0:41:40I'm not going to pry into whatever that is,
0:41:40 > 0:41:43that's entirely his business and that wouldn't be right.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47It really does raise questions in my mind -
0:41:47 > 0:41:51I just cannot run a business that you roll up...
0:41:51 > 0:41:53It's not a pick and mix.
0:41:53 > 0:41:58So hopefully, Lee can get squared away whatever he needs to.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Let's take it at his word and...hope we get going again.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Ten days later, and Lee has thrown in the towel altogether.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18My head's just...gone.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22So yeah, my PTSD's come back with a bit of a vengeance lately.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Not sleeping. Erm...
0:42:25 > 0:42:27All these intrusive thoughts...
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Just struggling.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32Just...so lonely at the moment.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Really alone.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Just wake up and it's there - go to sleep, it's there,
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Just doesn't go.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45I thought it was all sorted, but...
0:42:46 > 0:42:48- HE SIGHS - ..yeah, it's not.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53Lost.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56Really lost.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04I am feeling pretty frustrated at the moment,
0:43:04 > 0:43:08and I'm not quite sure how to deal with it. I just feel that
0:43:08 > 0:43:10first of all, some of the guys
0:43:10 > 0:43:13have been less than completely honest with me, I feel,
0:43:13 > 0:43:16about where they are, at what stage they are
0:43:16 > 0:43:19in their ability to cope with work.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22That suggests to me that I've put the cart before the horse,
0:43:22 > 0:43:26and possibly the very first thing I should have done
0:43:26 > 0:43:28is discover more about
0:43:28 > 0:43:30the underlying issue that they have
0:43:30 > 0:43:32which is post-traumatic stress disorder.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36I'm cross with myself,
0:43:36 > 0:43:40and I've just got to reboot how I'm dealing with this.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43I don't mean sympathy - cos I think sympathy is a waste of time.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48I mean...
0:43:48 > 0:43:50practical, incremental steps.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00One of the first things I need to do
0:44:00 > 0:44:03is get to the bottom of what happened at Lee's placement.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08I was scared to leave the flat.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10And I haven't been like that for years.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14About two or three days after,
0:44:14 > 0:44:15it all kind of fell apart again.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17I was sat in the front room
0:44:17 > 0:44:19and I just thought, sod it, I'm going to go do it,
0:44:19 > 0:44:21I'm going to go jump off the bridge.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23I'd just had enough.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26You've got to be honest with me about what you can and can't do.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28Why didn't you talk to Paul about what it really was?
0:44:28 > 0:44:30You kind of used lots of euphemisms...
0:44:30 > 0:44:32I didn't go into detail about it
0:44:32 > 0:44:34because I don't think he...
0:44:34 > 0:44:36Well, he didn't really ASK the details.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39I just think honesty with an employer
0:44:39 > 0:44:41is kind of quite key about...
0:44:41 > 0:44:44You don't want someone thinking that you're unreliable or flaky...
0:44:44 > 0:44:46- No.- ..or that you just drop everything.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51I need to find out if there's a more effective way
0:44:51 > 0:44:55of dealing with this - I think that's the best help I can give you at the moment.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58- Cos we've got to get you over this hump, haven't we?- Yeah.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01Before we talk about anything else.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07I don't think I've underestimated the effects of PTSD -
0:45:07 > 0:45:10I think I've underestimated how deeply ingrained it is.
0:45:10 > 0:45:15And also, I don't know enough about the symptoms and the effects.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18Is it even appropriate to be putting these guys into employment,
0:45:18 > 0:45:21even though they say they WANT it, when they have PTSD -
0:45:21 > 0:45:25I mean, will it aid their recovery or will it hinder their recovery?
0:45:26 > 0:45:30'I've come to King's College London to find out.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34'Professor Neil Greenberg served over 23 years in the armed forces,
0:45:34 > 0:45:39'and was deployed as a psychiatrist to Iraq and Afghanistan,
0:45:39 > 0:45:42'so has seen first hand the effects of the illness.'
0:45:42 > 0:45:46Can you give me some idea about the symptoms of PTSD?
0:45:46 > 0:45:49The first of them are called re-experiencing symptoms.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52So these are where people can't stop thinking about
0:45:52 > 0:45:54the incident, or incidents -
0:45:54 > 0:45:56they have nightmares, they may have
0:45:56 > 0:45:58what are called flashbacks,
0:45:58 > 0:46:00so actually seeing, feeling and hearing
0:46:00 > 0:46:02as if you're back in the incident.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05The next set of symptoms are called avoidance symptoms,
0:46:05 > 0:46:07and so these mean that basically you don't want to talk about it,
0:46:07 > 0:46:10you don't want to go near anything that might remind you of it.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13The third set of symptoms are called arousal symptoms,
0:46:13 > 0:46:16and they involve poor sleep, irritability, poor concentration,
0:46:16 > 0:46:18and the very last group of symptoms
0:46:18 > 0:46:21are alterations in mood and cognitions.
0:46:21 > 0:46:22So you may feel very guilty
0:46:22 > 0:46:24that you didn't do the right thing.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27You may think something bad is always about to happen or feel emotionally numb.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30For some people, the symptoms get better,
0:46:30 > 0:46:32but they don't completely go away,
0:46:32 > 0:46:35and then you're down to kind of chronic disease management.
0:46:35 > 0:46:36I think it's fairly evident
0:46:36 > 0:46:41that mental illness is still stigmatised in the wider population.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45Do you think someone who's suffering from PTSD
0:46:45 > 0:46:46should disclose it to an employer?
0:46:46 > 0:46:49I think it's what's called a bit of a wicked problem
0:46:49 > 0:46:51because obviously there's pros and cons -
0:46:51 > 0:46:53if you declare it, they may not give you the contract.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55So I think there is this difficult balance between
0:46:55 > 0:46:58wanting to be honest, but at the same time recognising that
0:46:58 > 0:47:01even the best employers may treat you differently.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03There's someone I've been working with
0:47:03 > 0:47:06who's been out of the Army for six years
0:47:06 > 0:47:08and has never been able to hold down a job in that time,
0:47:08 > 0:47:11and whose PTSD has become again incredibly severe.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15And, erm...I'm wondering what is best practice -
0:47:15 > 0:47:17I mean, what is the best way
0:47:17 > 0:47:19to try and help him or support him through it?
0:47:19 > 0:47:22Well, there's a bit of a chicken and egg piece here,
0:47:22 > 0:47:24so the question is do you try and get someone
0:47:24 > 0:47:26almost perfectly well before you start working?
0:47:26 > 0:47:29- Mm.- Or do you try and get them into work,
0:47:29 > 0:47:31accepting that it's going to be challenging at first,
0:47:31 > 0:47:34but that actually being in work with the routine and social contact
0:47:34 > 0:47:37and self-esteem from doing well helps someone recover?
0:47:37 > 0:47:41The evidence points towards, get them in work as soon as you can.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43If you see their problems as a barrier,
0:47:43 > 0:47:47well, OK - that exists, well done, you're getting treatment, you carry on with that,
0:47:47 > 0:47:50what do we do to make that not impact so much at work?
0:47:50 > 0:47:53What you really need is a good platoon sergeant or mentor
0:47:53 > 0:47:54or company sergeant-major say,
0:47:54 > 0:47:57"OK, the first wall's coming up now -
0:47:57 > 0:47:59"how are we going to get you over that wall?"
0:47:59 > 0:48:02You could perhaps help them try and find a way through,
0:48:02 > 0:48:05or maybe even broker an understanding with their potential employer.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12I do feel really reassured by Professor Greenberg
0:48:12 > 0:48:15that actually one of the best ways of dealing with PTSD
0:48:15 > 0:48:17is getting people into employment.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21I think I still have to think about a long-term goal,
0:48:21 > 0:48:23but maybe I just have to be a bit clearer
0:48:23 > 0:48:26about the steps I need to take in between to achieve it.
0:48:26 > 0:48:27Maybe I haven't messed this up
0:48:27 > 0:48:29quite as badly as I thought I might have done.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34I'm feeling reassured about how I'm tackling this issue.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37And I've other good news. In Saltburn, Phil is at last
0:48:37 > 0:48:41about to have the final operation he hopes will be life-changing.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43It's amazing with amputees -
0:48:43 > 0:48:45cos I'm going into hospital now,
0:48:45 > 0:48:47- that's all I need, is one sock! - HE LAUGHS
0:48:50 > 0:48:51Excited.
0:48:51 > 0:48:52Erm...
0:48:52 > 0:48:54The operation means so much to me.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel,
0:48:57 > 0:48:59and I know that, erm...
0:48:59 > 0:49:02I've got a future. I can find employment now.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05It's going to be an ambition now, and
0:49:05 > 0:49:07it's like the bit between the teeth.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11I'm the sort of person that wants to carry it on now and...
0:49:11 > 0:49:13and hopefully a job'll come at the end of it.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17- Do you need your cushion, Phil?- No.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19- What about the leg rests? - They're underneath there.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21OK.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24- Are you driving?- Yeah. - Yeah? Sure?
0:49:31 > 0:49:33Feeling anxious.
0:49:33 > 0:49:34It's quite nervous.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37Especially when he goes down for anaesthetic, I don't like that.
0:49:37 > 0:49:38- Bye!- Bye.
0:49:38 > 0:49:39Good luck.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54Selling yourself in the civilian job market can be a huge challenge.
0:49:54 > 0:49:59Many veterans have only ever had ONE job interview, when they joined up.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03For Stuart, that was 14 years ago -
0:50:03 > 0:50:06now he's been offered an interview for a construction apprenticeship.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08It's next week, and I want to give him
0:50:08 > 0:50:11the best possible chance of landing it.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14I've brought this group to London to do some interview training.
0:50:14 > 0:50:18It may not be at the right time for every member of this group,
0:50:18 > 0:50:22but they all need interview training, so this will not be wasted.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28We are visiting Barclays' HQ in Canary Wharf.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31The company has invested £3.5 million
0:50:31 > 0:50:34in a programme to ready veterans for employment,
0:50:34 > 0:50:38and I've asked them to help teach the group how to sell themselves.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41A few weeks ago, Stuart had never written a CV,
0:50:41 > 0:50:44and the last and only time he had an interview,
0:50:44 > 0:50:46he was just 16 years old.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48Welcome. Thanks for coming in.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51Right. Ask a few questions. First one off -
0:50:51 > 0:50:53what do you consider your key achievements,
0:50:53 > 0:50:56of what are you most proud?
0:50:56 > 0:51:00Boxing. For my regiment, I did a lot of sparring training,
0:51:00 > 0:51:02teamwork,
0:51:02 > 0:51:05and then building up to a fight and then having a fight.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07Any way you sort of motivated the rest of the guys -
0:51:07 > 0:51:10did you sort of take the lead in training or sparring...?
0:51:10 > 0:51:13With me being the captain, I had a bit of responsibility
0:51:13 > 0:51:17to make sure everyone was there on time and ready to go.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19Cool. Great. Thank you very much.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21One of the last things that he said
0:51:21 > 0:51:23was he was the team captain.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26Up until that point, it was about
0:51:26 > 0:51:29focus, drive, determination,
0:51:29 > 0:51:31and then at the back end of that question
0:51:31 > 0:51:34it was all about leadership, management,
0:51:34 > 0:51:36inspiration, motivation -
0:51:36 > 0:51:38completely different skills
0:51:38 > 0:51:41that you would have used as the team captain
0:51:41 > 0:51:42to being a member of the team.
0:51:42 > 0:51:43You can use that example
0:51:43 > 0:51:46for your interview - practise it, nail it.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48You'll do all right.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52The main driving Barclays' scheme is Stuart Tootal,
0:51:52 > 0:51:54a former Army colonel.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57He believes a new approach is in everyone's interests.
0:51:57 > 0:52:02It would be wrong to view the armed forces community
0:52:02 > 0:52:04who leave the military looking for employment
0:52:04 > 0:52:06as victims -
0:52:06 > 0:52:08they're incredibly capable people.
0:52:08 > 0:52:13But probably the majority of them need a degree of support
0:52:13 > 0:52:14in making that transition.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17In the military, if you go into an unfamiliar space
0:52:17 > 0:52:20like the jungle, you're given the requisite training,
0:52:20 > 0:52:23jungle warfare instructor, you'd go in with members of your team who you trust,
0:52:23 > 0:52:25who've been in the jungle before
0:52:25 > 0:52:29and you're taught the rules of, don't eat this, don't sit there, don't travel at night.
0:52:29 > 0:52:30Leaving the military
0:52:30 > 0:52:32is a little like going into the jungle
0:52:32 > 0:52:34where none of that's in place.
0:52:34 > 0:52:35The second challenge is
0:52:35 > 0:52:39that there are lots of spots of good activity to support veterans -
0:52:39 > 0:52:44there are other companies, there's a charity sector, the MoD have the Career Transition Partnership -
0:52:44 > 0:52:45and what we really need to do
0:52:45 > 0:52:51is to build and bring that existing landscape together
0:52:51 > 0:52:54in a joined-up, systematic approach where we share best practice,
0:52:54 > 0:52:58to then ultimately lead to a sustainable system going forward.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00It's great for the veteran,
0:53:00 > 0:53:03it's great for the companies that employ the veterans,
0:53:03 > 0:53:05and of course this makes absolute sense
0:53:05 > 0:53:07to the state and the economy,
0:53:07 > 0:53:10because the military spends billions of pounds
0:53:10 > 0:53:12- training its people...- Yes.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14..and if we're not harnessing those skills,
0:53:14 > 0:53:16then we are wasting a real opportunity to really -
0:53:16 > 0:53:20especially when there's a wider skill shortage in the UK workforce -
0:53:20 > 0:53:23to make a really value-add difference and contribution
0:53:23 > 0:53:25to the British economy.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27Gentlemen...!
0:53:27 > 0:53:30- Hello, hello.- Hello. - How's it gone?
0:53:30 > 0:53:31Useful?
0:53:31 > 0:53:32Yeah, very useful.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34What about you, oh, silent one(?)
0:53:34 > 0:53:36I enjoyed the sandwiches.
0:53:36 > 0:53:38ALL LAUGH
0:53:38 > 0:53:41- Was it useful? - Yeah, I've found it really useful.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43I've got a lot out of it today.
0:53:43 > 0:53:47Good! You've got an interview coming up. Are you ready for that?
0:53:47 > 0:53:49A lot more ready now after doing this.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51I'm a bit more confident going to an interview now.
0:53:51 > 0:53:52Good.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54I mean, you know what is amazing to me,
0:53:54 > 0:53:57is the more I find out,
0:53:57 > 0:54:00the more I realise that there are an enormous amount of people
0:54:00 > 0:54:05who are willing to give some kind of boost or a lift or helping hand,
0:54:05 > 0:54:08and it's just a question of finding the right people
0:54:08 > 0:54:11and accessing the right bit of it at the right time.
0:54:13 > 0:54:15A week later, in Newcastle,
0:54:15 > 0:54:19Stuart is preparing to enter the workplace jungle.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22He's hoping to get a construction apprenticeship.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24Been a while since I've put THIS shirt on.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27I'm sweating now.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31Today is a really big day for Stuart.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34He has to shine in this interview,
0:54:34 > 0:54:37and this COULD be the start of a new chapter for him.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42Can hardly bend down in these jeans.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45And if anyone needs a new chapter, it's Stuart.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47Just six months ago he was in hospital,
0:54:47 > 0:54:50battling addictions to drink and drugs.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52Just having a quick last read-up on the course,
0:54:52 > 0:54:54make sure I...
0:54:54 > 0:54:57have a few questions.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00I'm very nervous. He's put all his eggs into one basket,
0:55:00 > 0:55:02he has no Plan B.
0:55:02 > 0:55:06If he's accepted, it'll be a huge boost for him,
0:55:06 > 0:55:09and if he's not, I think it'll really knock his confidence.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13Your taxi's waiting.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17STUART WHISTLES NONCHALANTLY
0:55:20 > 0:55:23I would be disappointed if I didn't get it.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27It will be life-changing - it's a career, it's a trade.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29So I hope I DO get it.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37All right? I'm here for an interview with Chris.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44- Stuart.- Yeah.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47- Hiya. Chris Curry.- All right? - Nice to meet you. Like to come upstairs, please?
0:55:57 > 0:56:00- 'So that's my first interview done. Hopefully it's the last.' - HE CHUCKLES
0:56:02 > 0:56:04'I'm just waiting for the phone call.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07'They said they'd ring about now, so...'
0:56:08 > 0:56:10PHONE RINGS
0:56:10 > 0:56:11Phone call!
0:56:11 > 0:56:12Settle down.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19Hello?
0:56:19 > 0:56:20Yeah it's Stuart, yeah.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24Right...
0:56:24 > 0:56:25Yeah, I'm sound, aye.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33Oh, nice one.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35Bye.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40Well, I got it.
0:56:40 > 0:56:41I got it.
0:56:41 > 0:56:43I got the job, like.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49It is a start of a new chapter in my life.
0:56:50 > 0:56:52I'm looking forward to it.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54Going to be a brickie!
0:56:54 > 0:56:56Like Oz off Auf Wiedersehen Pet.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59These are great first steps,
0:56:59 > 0:57:02but I'm under no illusion that there's a long way to go.
0:57:02 > 0:57:06I'm hoping to help more veterans back into employment,
0:57:06 > 0:57:09but as I learn about the challenges facing them,
0:57:09 > 0:57:13it is ever more apparent just how difficult my task will be.
0:57:14 > 0:57:18We still have lots and lots of veterans slipping through the net.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20I'm not quite sure what the answer is,
0:57:20 > 0:57:22but it is clear that there are
0:57:22 > 0:57:24quite a lot of...
0:57:24 > 0:57:27foundation bricks in place,
0:57:27 > 0:57:29but they need to be built on
0:57:29 > 0:57:32much better than we're doing at the moment.
0:57:32 > 0:57:34I certainly WANT to,
0:57:34 > 0:57:37the question is - how?
0:57:41 > 0:57:44'In the concluding part of my journey...'
0:57:44 > 0:57:47How many of us here can claim to be a veteran?
0:57:47 > 0:57:49'..I try and help one city to make a difference.'
0:57:49 > 0:57:53I'm determined to be effective in some way,
0:57:53 > 0:57:55and I want to stop talking and start doing.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58'I step up the fight...'
0:57:58 > 0:58:00Each time I think we've succeeded somewhere,
0:58:00 > 0:58:02there's been a step backward somewhere else.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04It's a massive challenge, but
0:58:04 > 0:58:07not trying to sort that out isn't really good enough.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10'And my group of veterans try to make it on civvy street.'
0:58:10 > 0:58:14I don't see it as I'm going for a job - this is my future now.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17I'm really looking forward to the challenge. It'll be brilliant.
0:58:17 > 0:58:19You don't seem particularly cheerful.
0:58:19 > 0:58:22One of the hardest decisions I've ever done.
0:58:22 > 0:58:23Going to war's easier.
0:58:23 > 0:58:26Got a headache just thinking about it.