A Better Working Future for Ex-Service Personnel

Abstract: Employment of ex-Service personnel remains one of the principle challenges for all organisations looking to ensure that ex-Service personnel and their families can build successful civilian lives. But the world of work is changing faster than ever before. The types of jobs available as well as the skills needed to do them
are changing faster than many people can keep up with. Combined with effects of an ageing workforce, automation, a growing skills shortage and the impacts of the UK’s exit from the EU, navigating the UK jobs market is as difficult and confusing as it has ever been. Despite UK unemployment being at its lowest rate in decades, ex-Service personnel continue to experience barriers to finding good work. Research suggests employers still don’t sufficiently understand or appreciate the skills ex-Service personnel have to offer, which has a significant and negative impact on the types of roles they are considered for. In addition, underemployment in the UK is an increasing concern across the labour market. Office for National Statistics research suggests the percentage of workers who want more hours, or workers who want better jobs, is nearly double the unemployment rate, at about 9.7%, or 3.3 million people. This report therefore aims to investigate how this trend extends to the ex-Service community. Coupled with this, the volume of employers actively engaging with ex-Service employment support providers is still relatively low, reducing choice and opportunity for ex-Service personnel, and reducing the likelihood of a ‘best fit’ match for employers. This is particularly evident with the 5.8m SMEs, who represent 99% of UK companies but are failing to engage and employ ex-Service personnel at scale. This context reflects a dual challenge:
• The lack of understanding and appreciation of the transferable skills, competencies and experience from the military by employers
• The difficulty of employers, particularly SMEs, in accessing the ex-Service talent pool
Taken together and in an increasingly uncertain labour market, these factors create the potential for ex-Service personnel to miss out on careers that are resilient, motivating, lucrative, offer development and make
the most of their valuable skill sets. GoodPeople was therefore commissioned by Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) to better investigate these trends and look at possible collaborative solutions. The aim of this report was to evaluate skills transfer and employment access barriers between the ex-Service community and SMEs and explore systemic opportunities to overcome these barriers through innovation and collaboration.