UK Jobs: £15m Kent Factory to Create Jobs for Veterans

UK jobs news: Royal British Veterans Enterprise is building a £15m factory in Kent that will create hundreds of jobs and training places for veterans.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, London, UKUK

In brief

  • Royal British Veterans Enterprise (RBVE) has started building a £15 million factory in Kent.
  • It will create hundreds of jobs, placements and training places for veterans and disabled people.
  • A Training Academy will offer accredited qualifications and routes into work with local businesses.
  • RBVE makes more than 250,000 road, rail and commercial signs a year; over 70% of its team are veterans, disabled or both.
CountryUK
OrganizationRoyal British Veterans Enterprise (RBVE)
Official sourceCobseo – Simon Weston helps launch £15m RBVE factory ✓ cobseo.org.uk

New veterans jobs are coming to Kent. Veterans' charity Royal British Veterans Enterprise (RBVE) has started building a £15 million factory that will create hundreds of jobs, placements and training places for veterans and disabled people. Falklands veteran Simon Weston joined the launch, announced on 5 November 2026.

What is being built?

Detail Information
Employer Royal British Veterans Enterprise (RBVE)
Location Kent, England
Investment £15 million
Jobs Hundreds of jobs, placements and learning places
Training Training Academy with accredited qualifications
Who it is for Veterans and disabled people

Graduates of the academy will also be helped into jobs with other local employers, not only at RBVE.

What does RBVE make?

RBVE has been making signs for over six decades. Its factories in Kent, Surrey and Glasgow turn out over 250,000 signs a year for roads, railways and businesses, and the charity believes about one in five UK road signs are made by its teams, including signs for Network Rail and National Highways. Over 70% of its staff are veterans, disabled people, or both.

Why does it matter?

Government data quoted by RBVE shows only 52.8% of disabled people are in work, compared with 82.5% of non-disabled people. Census data also shows that close to a third of the 1.85 million armed forces veterans in England and Wales have a disability. Chief Executive Lisa Farmer said work is the most powerful thing the charity can offer someone.

What jobs are likely?

A sign-manufacturing factory typically needs:

  • Production and assembly operatives
  • Machine and print operators
  • Warehouse, packing and dispatch staff
  • Quality control and maintenance roles
  • Admin, sales and supervisory jobs

These are typical roles for this type of factory, not a confirmed vacancy list.

How do I apply?

The factory is being built now. Veterans and disabled job seekers interested in future roles or training should contact Royal British Veterans Enterprise through its official channels.

What it means for job seekers

More openings: all UK jobs

Frequently asked questions

What is the new RBVE factory in Kent?

A £15 million factory being built by Royal British Veterans Enterprise, a veterans' charity, to create hundreds of jobs and training places for veterans and disabled people.

Who can work at the RBVE factory?

The factory is aimed at veterans and disabled people, with a Training Academy offering accredited qualifications and routes into jobs with local employers.

What does Royal British Veterans Enterprise make?

Signs for roads, railways and businesses: over 250,000 a year, and by its own estimate about one in five UK road signs.

Who launched the RBVE factory build?

Falklands veteran Simon Weston joined RBVE at the start of construction in November 2026.

Apply only through the official source.

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