West Midlands Veteran’s Fair

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Veterans Advisory and Pension Committee (VAPC) are pleased to announce the inaugural West Midlands Veterans’ Fair at Millennium Point, on Wednesday 01 November 2023.

Hosted by Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, and Professor Simon Brake, the chairman of the West Midlands VAPC, this event will bring together hundreds of Armed Forces personnel or veterans who are seeking to transition into civilian employment.

There are more than 150,000 veterans living within the West Midlands. In the WMCA conurbation alone there are an estimated 76,000 veterans, of which more than 21,500 are of working age. Despite possessing a huge array of transferable skills, the transition to civilian life can present challenges to our Armed Forces community.

The WMCA and VAPC are committed to working together to tackle this, and this fair aims to provide an opportunity for employers and veterans to engage, network, and grow. Taking place in the build up to the Act of Remembrance, it will act as a key demonstration of our Region’s commitment to our service and veteran communities.

We are also very pleased to announce that Corporal Andy Reid MBE will be attending this event as one of the key speakers.

In October 2009, he stepped on a Taliban improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. However, Andy defied the odds and has since gone on to set up the Standing Tall Foundation, which aims to help fellow veterans with their mental health, addiction issues, and wellbeing.