Ex-Army tank driver, 42, with 26 different driving licences is turned down from 790 jobs

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Carl 'Bear' Randell-Eyre, 42, served with the Armed Forces for 23 years
He can drive tanks, cranes, trucks and motorbikes but can't get a job
Rejected from hundreds of jobs because he lacks civilian experience
'I'm nothing special, but I'm a grafter and give everything I have,' he said
Mr Randell-Eyre has set up a Twitter account - @Givebearajob

PUBLISHED: 10:39 EST, 4 March 2014 | UPDATED: 09:38 EST, 5 March 2014

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Decorated: Former army driver Carl 'Bear' Randell-Eyre has taken to advertising himself on Twitter in a desperate effort to find work after he was turned down for a staggering 790 jobs

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A talented ex-Army tank driver has taken to advertising himself on Twitter in a desperate bid to find work - after he was turned down for a staggering 790 jobs.

Carl 'Bear' Randell-Eyre, 42, served with the Armed Forces for 23 years and commanded the world's biggest military vehicles during tours in Bosnia and Iraq.

One of the nation's most skilled drivers, he has 26 driving licences for everything from 68-tonne Challenger tanks to helicopter recovery cranes and 32-tonne trucks.

During his long service in 25 countries he risked his life recovering and fixing bombed out military vehicles while under enemy fire on the front line.

But the father-of-one's qualifications with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers are not recognised for civilian driving jobs and he cannot afford to retrain.

Employers have also told him he lacks experience in the civilian world.

The former corporal is just four weeks from losing the rented home he shares with his partner Donna, and is begging for the chance to work via his GiveBearAJob Twitter page.

Bear, from Chard, Somerset, who left the Army in August 2012, said: 'I have 26 licences, but very few civilian qualifications, and it costs money to get them.

'I think advertising myself on Twitter is good because so many people can see it, and reply, and I feel my need for a job gets more attention.

'I don't mind if the job is a distance away, I could work away in the week if necessary.

'Someone has to just give me that one chance to prove myself.

'I'm nothing special, but I'm a grafter and give everything I have - 100 per cent.'

Bear - a nickname given to him because he is 6ft 4ins and 22 stones - joined the army straight from school.

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He collected nine service medals from Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Kosovo - including awards for long service and good conduct - before his contract ran out in August 2012.

Well-qualified: The 43-year-old with his various advanced driving certificates, but despite this experience he cannot find work

Desperate: Bear has launched his own Twitter page to try to get himself a job before he and his family is evicted

Jam packed: His driving licence must be one of the fullest in the country and he can legally drive 26 different types of vehicle

He used his retraining allowance to take an advanced driving course and got a temp job test-driving for Jaguar Land Rover which only lasted 13 weeks.

Long-serving: Mr' Randell-Eyre served with the Armed Forces for 23 years, but cannot drive a HGV because he cannot afford the training costs

After that he spent every day applying for an impressive 528 jobs before he secured a chauffeuring job in April last year, which only lasted until September.

In the last five months he has applied for a further 262 positions, trawling websites, job centres and using recruitment agencies.

But despite commanding the biggest vehicles in the Forces he is not qualified to drive an HGV and can not afford the £3,000 training costs.

He says he has applied for everything from delivery jobs to car mechanic roles, but employers tell him despite his military experience, he has no civilian practice to back it up.

Bear, who also worked in Germany, Canada, Poland, and Macedonia, said: 'They will say things like you don't have any point to point pick up experience for a delivery job - but I have recovered tanks and dropped them back at the base. Surely that counts?

'It has got to the point now that we only have a months worth of rent left before me and Donna will have to move into my van.

'I'm ready to work and I'll do pretty much anything.'

Out of luck: The driver says he is suffering because of the lack of a job, adding: 'I'm ready to work and I'll do pretty much anything'

Varied: A motorcyle and Army lorry driven by Bear. He can drive everything from 68-tonne Challenger tanks to helicopter recovery cranes and 32-tonne trucks

Bear - who has also completed Army leadership and management courses - has been writing about his skills and the vehicles he drove on Twitter.

WHAT CAN'T BEAR DRIVE?

- STEAMROLLER

- HGV ON UK ROADS

He posted: 'Could u employ an ex soldier who's professional, intricate and a perfectionist in all he does! Pls employ me!'

He added: 'I am not one of these people who sits on his backside all day waiting for something to happen.

'Over the last 25yrs I have worked in 25 countries in three continents so very experienced and respect all cultures.'

The Royal Logistics Corps - the biggest corps in the British Army

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The comments below have been moderated in advance.

don38, Avellino, Italy, 17 hours ago

Come on UK bus companies here is one of our own with the right qualifications, offer him a job, why don't you?

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garyjon, alton, 17 hours ago

Everyone who applies for a job needs it as badly as the next no matter their back ground etc..yes he fought for war and country and got a trade in the Army makes him no different ...and I say this in a nice way..

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Adelaide hillman, Adelaide, 17 hours ago

And yet the councils, and civil service agencies are full of wanabe revolutionaries who are lacking real world life experience and inflicting chaos on the countries citizens. Why wont these institutions employ experienced and very practical ex-service men or do these institutions leaders fear what willing and capable people can accomplish? The borders agency would be a good place to start employing ex service men and women.

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micky2shoes, doncaster, United Kingdom, 17 hours ago

Perhaps he should shut up about his qualifications and just apply as a driver. The bus companies seem in need and so do a lot of house delivery companies as they advertise vacancies on their vans or is that beneath him?

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Pat, Driffield, 17 hours ago

Am I missing something? According to his licence he has C and CE which I understand to be HGV. If this is not the case, surely he should have used his resettlement course getting his HGV licence rather than an Advanced Driving qualification. I find it difficult to believe that this man cannot get a driving job unless of course there's more to this story than published here.

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Debbie Wagstaff, wakefield, United Kingdom, 17 hours ago

go to a bus depot they are always looking for bus drivers

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british Tax payer, Birmingham-ski, United Kingdom, 17 hours ago

just the type of chap who would make a good transport manager, good look sir

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Fyrd, gueret, 17 hours ago

he doesn't fit the stereotype that the average Mail reader has of the unemployed nor do many others, but will this stop them branding the unemployed as feckless and bone idle? I doubt it.

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STRATOCASTER, PETERBOROUGH. UK., United Kingdom, 18 hours ago

Employers are probably terrified of him because there is no way they would be able to bully him the way they do with other staff members!.

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Brimstone, Telford, United Kingdom, 18 hours ago

Employer's turning Bear down because he "doesn't have civilian experience" don't have a clue. Multi-drop delivery work is hardly complicated and nor is any other kind of driving work although hazardous materials requires some additional technical knowledge.