Local businesses were invited onto the grounds of Prince William of Gloucester Barracks, Lincolnshire, on Reserves Day to find out why employing members of the Armed Forces community could be beneficial to their business and, crucially, how to recruit them.
South Kesteven District Council (SKDC), the only local authority in Lincolnshire to hold the Gold Award in the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme, organised the skills symposium to raise awareness of the advantageous skills, knowledge and experience military talent can bring into civilian workplaces.
Speaking at the conference, Councillor Bridget Ley, Armed Forces Champion for SKDC, said: “Today is about bringing the worlds of business and military together for mutual benefit.
“We appreciate what ex-military personnel bring to any organisation, and we want you to do the same.”
Fellow Gold Award holders, DEA Aviation, RecruitME, Wilkin Chapman and the University of Lincoln, as well as Bronze holders Metis Aerospace and even a film crew from the BBC were in attendance.
Business benefit
Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Duncan Lowe, Head of Establishment at Prince William of Gloucester Barracks, gave delegates an insight into the three-week Army Reserve basic training conducted on site. In total, 70% of all Army Reserve basic training is delivered by Army Training Regiment Grantham.
He also highlighted how sought-after communications, teamwork, leadership and management skills – valuable core attributes for any employee – are embedded in Reservists’ training.
He was joined by Lt Col Joel Rathbone, Commanding Officer of 167 Regiment, an Army Reserve Regiment of the Royal Logistics Corps, who explained how specialist skills, such as advanced driving and catering, developed in the Reserves can enhance a Soldier’s civilian capability.
Sage advice
SKDC has been a long-standing supporter of Serving Personnel, Reservists, Service-Leavers and their families. Within their workforce, they have 20 Service-Leavers, but within the district, there are in the region of 8,700 Service-Leavers – that’s 7.4% of the local population.
They employ an Armed Forces Officer to ensure compliance with the Armed Forces Covenant’s local authority requirements and to maximise support for military communities.
Alongside other districts in Lincolnshire, plus the NHS, SKDC helps to fund a county-wide Armed Forces Officer to share best practice and ensure the Armed Forces community is “recognised, valued and well supported.”
Their excellence as Armed Forces advocates and supporters was recognised in 2022 with the Gold Award.
At their military skills conference, which was organised in collaboration with Grantham consultancy Business Unfinished, the council also offered sage advice to local businesses on employing Service-Leavers.
On stage, Councillor Ley, who also chairs the civic-military board of the Lincolnshire Armed Forces Community Covenant Partnership, said: “Are you aware that employers can potentially claim back National Insurance costs for the first year of a Veteran’s civilian employment after leaving service?
“Ex-military may also be able to tap into unused extended learning credits from their service to support any required re-training to suit business needs, which could be a real boost to training budgets.”
Information sheets were shared with attendees about key recruitment services, including the Careers Transition Partnership, Forces Families Jobs, and the Forces Employment Charity.
Councillor Ley added: “If you wish to make the most of the MOD’s Careers Transition Partnership advice and jobs portal, you do really need to sign up to the Covenant.
“In case you haven’t heard of the Covenant, in broad terms it’s a voluntary gesture of support for Defence, to ensure those who serve suffer no disadvantage through their service.
“To put it simply, it’s about treating our Armed Forces and their families fairly.”
Find out more about the Armed Forces Covenant
