A HELENSBURGH group aimed at supporting job seekers with familial connections to the armed forces have held a successful employment event.

Recruit for Spouses organised the free event with Google Digital Garage to give people the opportunity to gain employment tips.

The workshop sessions gave people advice on CV building, using social media and building an online profile to develop a brand.

Lisa Grieveson, the Helensburgh representative for Recruit for Spouses, helped organise the event with support from Google.

She told the Advertiser: “It was absolutely mind blowing. I thought I knew quite a bit about my job, but they brought a lot more information about what the digital age is looking for like information about how to market a product properly.

“The last workshop was ‘I am Remarkable’ and it was really thought-provoking.

“It was all about how to promote yourself better and about believing in yourself.

“Most women just sit back and say nothing, but they wanted to help us realise it’s not bragging if it’s just fact.

“Everyone came out of that with a new outlook.”

She added: “The CV writing workshop focused on online and was about how to enhance your digital CV on sites like LinkedIn because employers look at things like that too.”

The workshops were hosted by Google trainer Priya Chauhan.

Lisa helps navy spouses in the Helensburgh and Lomond area find work or education that fits around childcare and family life.

“I do recruitment,” she added, “I’m always available non-stop seven days a week.

“If a spouse needs help it doesn’t matter what time or day it is I will be happy to provide it because they have worked up the courage to contact me.

“It’s hard being a military spouse. They put up with so much and need to arrange childcare a lot of the time.

“They need the help and support they deserve so they feel just as equal.”

Since the organisation was set up in 2011, Recruit for Spouses has helped more than 1,000 people get back into work or education.

But Lisa explained half the battle is getting employers to take on military spouses, because they know there’s a chance that after two years the person might move away again.

She added: “Many people can’t get work because as soon as they say they’re a military spouse they wonder if that’s really what they want because they might need to move away.

“There’s so much, especially in the Helensburgh area, some spouses are engineers, teachers and nurses yet they struggle to find work.

“We are trying to educate the companies, so that they open their doors to them rather than close them.

About 20 people went to the event in the Tower Digital Arts Centre on Wednesday, May 9.

Lisa said: “It was the first event of its kind in Helensburgh.

“We only had about 20 people but Maurice Corry MSP came and Brian Keating was absolutely amazing and gave us the Tower for free because I needed a venue.

“He said he would provide the venue to support us and I couldn’t thank him enough.

“His co-worker Claire Lang also put on a beautiful spread.”

Mr Corry, a Helensburgh resident and convener of the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on Armed Forces and Veterans Community, told the Advertiser: “It was a very good day and it continues the work that Recruit for Spouses have been doing from their last event.

“It really emphasises the importance of recruitment for spouses and the importance of harnessing the talent of spouses and getting them into employment.

He added: “It’s a wonderful resource for employers in the Helensburgh area and I would like to recommend any employers contact them about the work they do.

“The presentation from Google was excellent and was very useful to those of us who were there to tell us about the support Google can give to us on the internet.”

For more information email info@recruitforspouses.co.uk or contact Lisa Grieveson via l.grieveson@recruitforspouses.co.uk.

ogogo