How veterans can help bridge the labour gap
As explained in this blog, through its Veterans Initiative, the CLA aims to build a partnership to connect rural employers, the veterans community and rural skills providers
One of the greatest challenges facing rural businesses is labour shortage; not having enough workers, or workers with the right skills, can be a major constraint and have significant impacts on a business’s capacity to be productive. With this in mind, the CLA continues to examine the labour market to assess the availability of alternative labour pools.
Veterans retiring from the armed forces are an untapped labour pool. Each year, more than 14,000 skilled individuals leave the military, ready to enter the civilian workforce. The skills, knowledge and experience of ex-service personnel and veterans – including management, mechanics and logistics – are highly desirable, making this labour market increasingly important.
A collaborative approach
When the CLA signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2023, it was the first step in recognising that veterans could play a vital role in revitalising the rural economy in England and Wales. Indeed, one of the pledges made was to create links with national and regional networks that support veterans after they leave the armed forces.
To deliver on this pledge, the CLA has taken a collaborative approach, bringing together a wide range of organisations to develop a roadmap of best practice. This group recently met for the first time to discuss the challenges, the need for a clear strategic framework and how the connection between the rural community and ex-service personnel could be bridged.
Through a proposed Veterans Rural Skills Partnership, the objectives include:
- Building better and more effective relationships with the aim of increasing the dissemination of information to both rural employers and veterans.
- Creating a partnership of organisations that can work together to ensure improved understanding and lead to greater awareness.
- Making it easier for veterans to seek and gain employment with rural businesses and for rural employers to contribute to increasing the skills base of veterans.
The aim is to allow employers to tap into a readily available labour pool while giving veterans an opportunity to take the next step in their career.
The right connections
In opening the meeting, available to watch here, CLA Senior Economist Charles Trotman, who leads on the Association’s Veterans Initiative, said: “We want to make sure we can work on a cooperative and collaborative basis, and that all those who are involved in veterans affairs, particularly in relation to the rural community, have an opportunity to work together.
As an organisation, we want to ensure there is more information available to those leaving the armed forces so that they understand the benefits that rural Britain can bestow
“By making the right connections, we can make a real difference in how the rural economy is perceived, help with the labour shortage and create new relationships with veterans support groups. It is a question of resolving the disconnect and getting the right information out there, in the right format, with the right timescales so everybody understands it can make a major difference.”
Changing perceptions
One of the main points highlighted by James Cameron, CEO of Mission Community, centred around perception. Having shown how the automotive sector is already making strides in delivering a veterans roadmap, he commented: “There is a perception issue, which means that businesses may not take that extra effort to reach out to somebody who has come from a service background. That has come about for many reasons. There is a challenge of narratives and we need to tell a better story. One of the most positive steps we can take is to start to talk about the value of veterans, encourage those within membership to identify their veterans and give them something they can contribute to.”
He also highlighted the value of harnessing veterans who had carved out successful careers in the sector. “They can share the story best for you. They speak the language of the industry and they speak the language of where they come from. They have a common background and are the best mentors for others who can follow in their footsteps. We need to make sure the positive messages are getting out there in order to change people’s minds.”
Jamie Crisp, Chief Executive of HighGround, reiterated the need to promote land-based employment to all military personnel. He said: “We tend to showcase individuals who’ve come from senior roles and transitioned into higher level positions. To advocate from the bottom up and top down, we want to bring as many people through as possible irrespective of rank or level.”
James added, “I am privileged to witness first-hand the invaluable skills and dedication that UK service leavers and veterans bring to the land-based sector. The recent meeting to develop a Veterans Roadmap is a crucial step towards recognising and addressing the skills needs of rural employers and veterans wishing to work in the rural economy.
A well-structured Veterans Roadmap will increase awareness among rural employers about the exceptional skills and qualities that veterans bring to the table
“It will also provide a clear pathway for veterans to navigate the transition into rural employment, ensuring that they have access to the resources and support they need to succeed.”
The overwhelming support for a Veterans Rural Skills Partnership will now be taken to the next stage, with the key outcome being the desire to create a rural economy sector guide. Most agreed that these documents had worked well in other industries as a tool to spread the message of the value of both veterans forging new careers in land-based roles and for employers looking to fill their labour gaps.
Charles concluded: “It is vital that we get this right. Through collaborative working, we all can make a real difference to the lives of those in the veterans community as well as providing real assistance to our members.”