Skills & Training

Developing Your People

Employing Veterans

Some 14,000 men and women leave the forces every year to seek a new role in civilian life. Some fail to cope. Statistically, they are over-represented in the ranks of the unemployed and the homeless.

It’s no secret that some ex-service personnel struggle to adapt to civilian life, yet on paper they have so much to offer. Many have strong technical skills, they are mission-focused and have a can-do attitude, and they tend to be loyal employees. A survey by the accountancy firm Deloitte found that 76% of employers who have taken on military veterans say they have lower rates of absenteeism than the wider workforce and 40% say they stay as employees for longer.

It’s a tragedy that many employers miss out on the qualities that veterans can bring to their businesses, either through lack of knowledge or misconceptions. We want to highlight to Cumbrian businesses to seriously consider recruiting them. The following resources and organisations provide support to businesses looking to employ veterans.