L&D needs to step up to help integrate veterans

A wealth of talent re-enters the market every year, but it’s frequently overlooked.

Research by Barclays estimates that 12,000 to 20,000 veterans leave the UK army each year, many of whom are working age.

Of those that attempt a new profession, only 22% feel they have a job in which their employer fully recognises their skills and experience and how they benefit the workplace.

James Appleton, Head of Retail Recruitment at Mitchells & Butlers, explained the benefits of hiring ex-forces personnel to Executive Grapevine: “In our experience, ex-forces recruits are often used to working to a high level of professionalism and quickly adapt to working well within a team setting. When moving back to civilian life or ‘resettling’, we understand that employees want a stable and challenging surrounding to build a new career, which is why we invest time in on-the-job training for employees to continually push themselves."