Transformation for Veterans is a relatively new charity whose mission is to offer Veterans and their loved ones a Transformation resource; supporting them through a purpose built rural facility integrating bespoke services.
Founders Joe and Tracey O’Connor
The focus is on the well-being of veterans, empowering them, and their families, with the skills they need to develop their ability and achieve anything they want in life. Transformation for Veterans is now working as part of the Building Better Opportunities funded project ’New Leaf’ to help get people furthest away from the labour market into work.
During the University of Chester’s Work Based Learning (WBL) placement period, Tracey and Joe O’Connor (Company Secretary and Director, respectively) hosted three University of Chester students on their placements where they developed their skills and gained new experience assisting with administrative work, promoting various projects and also blogging.
Tracey explained that she found the experience to be very beneficial to both the organisation as well as the student:
“(WBL) is good feedback for us and there is mutual learning.”
They were so happy with the output from one University of Chester student that they have also offered a permanent role to them, who completed WBL last year.
The students only had great things to say about their placement. One of our Marketing degree students, Elen Lewis, found the experience of working in the small charity very rewarding as the marketing side of the charity is still finding its feet:
“This experience has made me feel more confident in getting involved in marketing with small businesses and charities… I have used different marketing and social media software which has given me an insight into real marketing.”
Tracey O’Connor offered some advice to those interested in providing a placement; emphasising the importance of having an induction with the students they took on, in order to explain ‘housekeeping’, but to also adapt the roles so the students could get the most out of their experience:
“Each student wanted to expand particular skills.”
Tracey and Joe would like to take on more WBL students next year to continue supporting students at the University of Chester.
Founders with students Emma, Kirsty and Elen