Outline of the Challenge to be Addressed:
Engaging The SME Business Community To Change Our Approach To Veteran Employment
Our belief is that there is a channel within the UK economy and business world which can be greatly enhanced to help the business community engage with the SME community to change our approach to veteran employment. This channel is the business and individual member organisations across the UK; the industry associations across the UK that champion business sectors e.g. British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) or trade associations that champion professional standards in individuals, irrespective of sector, e.g. The Institute of Supply Chain Management (IoSCM).
This piece of work came as a result of various discussions, meetings and the report from the Forces in Mind Trust Senior Leaders’ Dinner on 22nd October 2019 which summarised the following:
The challenge identified:
How can UK businesses better employ and utilise the skills of those who leave the Armed Forces. In particular how can we cultivate the Small Medium Enterprise Community to be better informed and more involved with the Armed Forces employment and business agenda. Helping businesses realise that working on this engagement is actually good business for them and the community at large.Senior Leaders’ Dinner summary conclusion:
“Veterans’ employment requires a refreshed if not new and balanced narrative, deployed at scale beyond MOD and into wider Government and the business economy… Transition preparation and education for transition to civilian life would be increasingly beneficial for a partnership with business to enable a transition process to become a “transformation service” for the individual.”
The primary outcome for this piece of work is to ensure the establishment of a focus group of the most forward-thinking business organisations and associations representing a broad range of skill sectors.
Through this focus group best practice can be endorsed and shared within the SME community.
Organisations who have supported this initial research focus group:
This work is carried out in collaboration with Forces in Mind Trust
Project Name: HELPING THE ARMED FORCES COMMUNITY TO BE THE BEST IN BUSINESS