Heroes in the Military make heroes in the workplace! More businesses are turning to veterans to fill vacancies as the UK celebrates Armed Forces Week

As the UK celebrates Armed Forces Week (19^th – 25^th June 2023), new figures show that an increasing number of employers are recognising veterans as a great source of talent to employ within their businesses. Figures released today by the Forces Employment Charity show over 15,000 more job opportunities were created for veterans in the last year, compared to the year before, jumping from 97,826 in 2021 to 115,012 in 2022.*

Anyone who has served in the Armed Forces is likely to possess a range of highly desirable skills, such as resilience, accountability and an ability to be trained, plus impeccable leadership qualities. These are all attributes which many employers are looking out for, yet new survey results from the Forces Employment Charity** show that, despite these exceptional skills, 2 out of 3 (65%) veterans in Wales sometimes underestimate the skills they developed during their time in the Military.

The survey also reveals that the biggest barrier veterans say they face when seeking civilian employment is “a lack of understanding amongst employers about how veterans’ skills from active duty translate into a business environment”. 1 in 3 (36%) of veterans in Wales also stated that they found transitioning into the civilian workforce harder than they had expected.

When it came to the type of support veterans in Wales would most value when seeking employment, they said:

• Interview skills and preparation (29%)
• Improving their confidence around ‘what they can bring to the table’ (24%)
• Guidance on how best to recognise the transferable skills they have (18%)

Alistair Halliday, CEO of the Forces Employment Charity says, “It is fantastic to see that so many more employers are starting to recognise the incredible value veterans bring, which is reflected in the figures showing an upturn in the number of employers actively turning to veterans to fill their vacancies. Having said that, we also know that despite the tremendous skills possessed by those who have served, our survey highlights that veterans are still likely to undervalue and undersell themselves. This shows that there is more work to be done to ensure that ex-Service people are getting the help they require, and that employers are getting everything they need to bring more of the Military community into their workforces.”

The Forces Employment Charity exists to provide life-long, life-changing support, job opportunities, and training to Service leavers, veterans, reservists and their families, irrespective of circumstances, rank, length of service, or reason for leaving.  The charity also delivers Op NOVA on behalf of the NHS, supporting veterans who are in contact with the justice system.

Forces Employment Charity will be in attendance at a number of Armed Forces Day events, taking place up and down the country on and around 24^th June, including the flagship event in Falmouth. For more information, visit www.forcesemployment.org.uk and search events