News
June 7th 2023
Why hiring a Cadet makes business sense
Civic and business leaders discovered the valuable skills and traits taught in the Army Cadets at a recent behind-the-scenes event with Nottinghamshire Army Cadet Force.
From first aid skills and leadership qualifications to embedded values of discipline, courage, respect and loyalty, employers saw for themselves the qualities of Army Cadets through demonstrations and one-to-one conversations over lunch.
In attendance were His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire Sir John Peace; Darren Henry, MP for Broxtowe; Caroline Henry, Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire, and representatives from 32 businesses and organisations from across Nottinghamshire including manufacturer Blackburn Starling, car dealership Sandicliffe, and property and construction consultants Gleeds.
Penny Fraser, Director of Talent Acquisition at Gleeds, said: “Today has been a real eye-opener finding out about this talent we can tap into. The enthusiasm, confidence, and attitude from all of the Cadets have really shone through.”
Sir John Peace said: “Not only has this been an enjoyable day, it’s enabled us all to have a good look at what being a Cadet is all about.
“A number of Cadets themselves gave presentations at the beginning of the day and talked about the qualities they thought were important to them and which the Cadet Force had instilled in them. At the top of that list was leadership.”
Connecting Cadets with business
Known as ‘Conversation with Cadets’, this event has become a staple in Nottinghamshire ACF’s calendar. The day began with presentations from the Army Cadet Force explaining what the organisation is all about.
Commandant Duncan Southall shared with guests that Nottinghamshire ACF is currently bursting at the seams with some 800 Cadets within the organisation and another 150 on a waiting list to join.
Afterwards, visitors were split into groups for archery, first aid, and air rifle demonstrations, with each station manned by Cadets and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.
Nicky Weston DL, Honorary Colonel of Nottinghamshire ACF, organised the event alongside the Commandant. She said: “Over the last two months I’ve spoken with the Nottinghamshire Manufacturing Network about today.
“All of them have been saying how difficult they’re finding it to recruit the right people with the right skills, so I’ve introduced them to the Army Cadets and invited them to today. I feel very passionate about connecting the two.”
"The enthusiasm, confidence and attitude from all of the Cadets has really shone through," Penny Fraser, Gleeds.
