THE CONCORDAT To Support Veterans into Civilian Employment in Scotland

Introduction

Mark Bibbey On behalf of the Veterans Employability Strategic Group

The Concordat, which I commend to you, provides a single, unambiguous statement of the expectations and responsibilities of the delivery partners represented within the group with regard to the employability of veterans and their families. It offers a broad framework of 3 principles, within which all those involved in the employment and training of Veterans and their families in Scotland can set out their commitment to make Scotland the destination of choice for Service leavers.

It is widely acknowledged that Service in our armed forces gives people a myriad of experiences and skills. Some, like many of the trade skills, have direct civilian equivalents, but others are less tangible and often do not bear a simple comparison to civilian benchmarks. These include, for instance, the qualities and skills associated with military discipline and ethos, experience of working under pressure and in tightly bonded teams, which nearly all those who have served have acquired, but are less well understood and rather more difficult to describe in a job application. Accordingly some find gaining meaningful employment difficult, or results in them getting a job, but not at a level commensurate with the skills and experiences they have acquired. This can be demoralising for the individual, and result in the loss of a valuable resource for the communities in which they live.

The Veterans' Commissioner identified those issues which needed to be addressed if this goal was to be achieved and recommended the setting up of the Veterans Employability Strategic Group (VESG) to chart the course. The VESG works alongside Scottish and UK Government and Agencies and brings together the stakeholders involved in Transition and Veterans' employment together with those with strategic responsibility for employment in Scotland. Working collaboratively together, they have consulted widely with employers and external stakeholders to develop systems and procedures which enable veterans and their families to compete for employment alongside their civilian counterparts.

Mark Bibbey
Chair of Veterans Employability Strategic Group