Army sends in tanks for Belfast jobs fair

Visitors to the Armed Forces Jobs and Trades Fair at the Kings Hall exhibition centre later this month can check out the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank and a range of other vehicles that have earned their spurs in Iraq and Afghanistan. A huge logistics operation has been set in train to deliver the hundreds of tons of kit being displayed which will require three separate shipments in and out.

Organisers of the Armed Forces Jobs and Trades Fair say it is worth it in order to make any discussion of the many and wide ranging career opportunities available in the Armed Forces as interactive an experience as possible. The Army has hundreds of full and part time opportunities with vacancies for Drivers, Chefs, Medical Staff, Vehicle Mechanics, Radio Technicians, Clerical Support Staff and Infantry Soldiers available immediately.

The RN and RAF are likewise actively recruiting and the Armed Forces Pay, Pensions, Training and Benefits package is competitive with any in the private sector.

The free show will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday the 25th and 26th of April between 10am and 4pm. As well as Challenger 2, the line-up includes Mastiff, Husky, Panther, Spartan, Scimitar, Warthog and Foxhound.

Dick Rafferty who spearheads Army recruitment in Northern Ireland says the recent restructuring of Defence and of the Army in particular has seen an enormous investment in high tech, leading edge kit and that investment is matched in the people and careers spaces, with both in evidence at the Armed Forces Jobs and Trades Fair. The timing of the event could not be better because there is a need to tell the public about the Regular Army’s (and Defence’s) changing roles and the closer integration of Reserve Forces which will see a number of NI Reserve Units increase in size.

“The Armed Forces Jobs and Trades Fair is not just about standalone jobs or trades; it is about putting the Armed Forces offer of well-paid careers with incomparable training and transferable qualifications and skills in to the NI jobs market place, it’s about giving young people and their parents the opportunity to make an informed decision as to whether an Armed Forces career might suit their purpose and the recruiting staffs on duty will contribute to that by no doubt telling the tale “warts and all”!