AROUND 80 major employers lined up for the Armyled Living and Working in Wiltshire and Swindon Transition Fair at the Tidworth Leisure Centre.

It was open to serving military and their families, reservists and veterans.

Employers present included Center Parcs, Dyson Ltd, G4S and Home Bargains, who were all looking to recruit new workers.

With the Army making cuts the fair is needed to help soldiers move back into civilian life and give employers a chance to match up their needs to the talent available.

Brigadier Piers Hankinson, Commander 43 (Wessex) Brigade, said: “They are work-ready and have skill sets and a code of conduct that are invaluable to civilian employers.”

Nationwide Building Society, which has its headquarters in Swindon were also there.

Rob Taffinder, from its recruiting team, said: “The military offer a wide range of skills which are very much transferable into a variety of companies across Wiltshire and we have an awful lot of people employed in that sort of area such as individuals with good people skills, used to working in stressful environments and good at coordinating issues in complex environments.”

The fair was supported by Wiltshire Council, Swindon Borough Council, the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership and the Career Transition Partnership.

The fair hosted a number of other exhibitors from the council and local organisations offering information, advice and contacts on everything from housing options and schools, to teenage clubs and how to start a small business.

Jane Scott, leader of Wiltshire Council, said: “I have seen a lot of soldiers talking to businesses and it has been very positive.”