Serving in the Armed Forces improves your chances of staying in work
The poll of 1,786 UK veterans found that, compared to the national average, more vets were in full-time work and more vets with mental health issues were in work, study finds
A LANDMARK study has revealed serving in the Armed Forces improves your chances of staying in work – destroying the myth veterans struggle on Civvy Street.
The new study found veteran employment rates are at 81 per cent – above the national average of 75.5 per cent.
And it found that 62 per cent of veterans who said they had a mental health disability were in work compared to just 25 per cent of civilians battling mental health woes being are in work.
The report, conducted by the Veterans Work Consortium titled ‘Veterans Work: Moving On’, surveyed 1,786 UK veterans who had left the military in the past 10 years.
Experts who commissioned the report said the figures undermined public perceptions that service life hampers veteran’s chances of getting work when they leave.
Chris Recchia, Partner at Deloitte and Chair of the Veterans Work Consortium said: “This data dispels those negative stereotypes.
“Our study found veterans are highly employable due to the hard work, determination, flexibility where they work and critically, a willingness to try a whole new career.
“Persistent negative stereotypes do unfortunately affect wider societal perception of the veteran community.
“It is absolutely true that some veterans have suffered and continue to suffer, this does not reflect the experiences of the majority.”
Veterans Work, made-up of leading professional services firm Deloitte, the Armed Forces charity the Officers’ Association and The Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT), is a consortium of organisations whose collective aim is to improve the understanding of veteran employment.
Their study comes after a separate poll earlier this year found an alarming 64 per cent of civilians think veterans are more likely to suffer from more mental, physical and emotional issues than those who have never served.
The YouGov report also found that 39 per cent of employers believe veterans are more likely to be “institutionalised”.
And 30 per cent thought that serving in the Armed Forces “damages people”.
Lee Holloway, Chief Executive of the Officers’ Association said: “There is a clear gulf between how the public perceive veterans and the reality.
“Veterans are more likely to be employed for instance, regardless of disability or mental health.
Air Vice-Marshal Ray Lock CBE and Chief Executive of the Forces in Mind Trust, said: “The transition out of military service into civilian life is most successful when all the elements, such as housing and employment, are tackled early, and holistically.
“It’s important that these challenges are, though, represented in a balanced and proportionate way.
Understanding the needs of the minority who do struggle should be set alongside the successful outcomes for the majority.
“There is plenty of evidence to show that the public and employers hold inaccurate perceptions of the ex-Service community.
“The efforts of the Veterans Work consortium should help redress the balance.”
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Tobias Ellwood, Minister for Defence People and Veterans, said: “Those who have served in our armed forces leave with a fantastic range of transferrable skills, including leadership, team work and resourcefulness.
“Organisations can benefit significantly from their experience, and so it’s important we dispel the myth that veterans are somehow damaged by their service.
“We will continue to support our service leavers in whichever route they choose to take, through initiatives such as our Career Transition Partnership.”
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