Dr Andrew Murrison MP, The UK’s minister for defence people, veterans and service families, has called on British employers to opt for ex-service personnel to help tackle the growing skills crisis.
Murrison made the comments at the CTP Employer Forum, where he said ex-service personnel are ‘highly motivated’ and ‘work-ready’.
His call to action comes as the latest Census data confirmed that almost one in 25 of the total population aged 16 and over (3.8%) living in England and Wales has previously served in the armed forces (Scotland will publish its data in 2023).
Murrison said: “We know that more than 14,000 people leave the UK’s armed forces every year, many of whom are ‘work-ready’ and highly motivated individuals with exceptional skills in areas such as leadership, communication, and teamwork.
He added: “No matter what size of business you operate or the sector; if you haven’t already considered Service leavers as a recruitment option before, we urge you to come forward and find out more.”
The CTP conference takes place each year as part of an agreement between the Ministry of Defence and Right Management to help ex-military transition to civilian life in a way which benefits the UK economy.
The CTP program has a high success rate, with over 96% of the UK Service leavers transitioning via the CTP settled into a new civilian job role within six months of leaving the services. To date, approximately over 240,000 ex service personnel have been supported by the programme in just over 20 years.
Adrian Peters, Operations Director, CTP, said: “Service leavers are an indispensable part of the UK’s civilian workforce, offering extensive transferable skills for a broad range of sectors, including engineering, renewables, logistics, finance, and construction. At a time when businesses are struggling to plug skills gaps, Service leavers can, and should be part of the solution.”
Featured image: Dr Andrew Murrison MP pictured centre
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