Britain’s Army boots hit the ground today as part of a brand new ‘Step Up’ recruitment campaign, which can be seen on TV screens across the country from tonight.
The campaign is part of a wider recruiting programme aimed at attracting 10,000 new soldiers and officers into the Army over the coming year, dispelling the misconception that the Army is not hiring.
The campaign, aimed at 16-to-24-year-olds, features TV ads that show the audience the potential journey a soldier might take following an Army career from the point of view of the Army’s iconic black boots. It also highlights what the Army can offer new recruits.
This will be supported by other initiatives including recruitment clinics in nearly 400 locations across the UK in partnership with Jobcentre Plus.
The new adverts will run as a 90-second cinema ad in Scotland and a 60-second cinema ad in England and Wales from 24 May.
The campaign will also capitalise on social media including Facebook and Twitter, where potential recruits can quiz current soldiers about their careers in the Army. Printed toolkits will also be provided to support the Army’s regional recruitment surges.
‘Step Up’ has been co-ordinated by the Army Recruiting Group and represents a major investment in the transformation of military recruiting. The campaign and recruitment clinics form part of an overhauled system designed to streamline recruitment.
Army jobs will now be advertised in job centres, and the vast majority of the application process can be done online. All applications are administered through the dedicated National Recruiting Centre, where a mentor is assigned to each applicant to guide him or her through the process of joining the Regular Army or the Reserves.
Brigadier Andrew Jackson, the Director of Recruiting and Training for the Army, said:
“We are always looking for talented, young people to take up the challenge of a career in the Army. No matter what your skills or background, the Army has something to offer you, and an Army job provides opportunities to learn much more beyond military skills. It will develop you and show you the strengths you didn’t know you had.
“These statistics show that 1 in 5 people would consider joining the Army, so we need to encourage those individuals to come forward and find out more about joining us. No matter what its size, the Army is always recruiting to ensure we have enough quality junior ranks and young officers to sustain the organisation and keep it ready for the challenges of the future.
“We pride ourselves on recruiting individuals who demonstrate talent and promise, and then provide them with all the training and development opportunities they need. Today is about helping them take the first step towards a successful career in the Army, and beyond.”
For more information, visit www.army.mod.uk/join/StepUp or call 0845 600 8080.
28th May 2013