The UK public and employers back veterans
19 January 2023
A new study by YouGov, polled more than 12,000 people including the public, employers, healthcare professionals and members of the media across the UK, into perceptions of former military personnel.
YouGov’s report, is commissioned by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs and in this new survey the audience have backed dedicated veterans, when asked about perceptions of armed forces veterans, their views on how veterans are treated after they leave service, and their opinion on veterans portrayed in the media.
The study showed that 71% of employers believed that veterans have a strong work ethic, whilst a vast majority of fellow employees said that veterans are resilient and would welcome working alongside them. It was also found that employers consider there are significant potential benefits from using the skills that veterans have acquired to fulfil skill gaps across many industries.
The government believe that this study will help shape future policy initiatives, as it will makes several recommendations, including stepping up working with employers to provide them with more information and guidance, particularly focussing on the diverse range of skills and benefits ex-service personnel can bring to employers. The report also says that misconceptions around mental health in the veteran community should be tackled, with more communications around the challenges veterans do and do not face.
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs and the wider government have programmes in place to boost veterans’ employment. These include:
-
businesses and other organisations employing veterans in their first civilian receiving a one year National Insurance holiday
-
promoting opportunities for service leavers and veterans to go into careers with the uniformed and health services, as well as teaching
-
launching the Going Forward Into Employment scheme, to provide a clear pathway for veterans, military partners and spouses who need extra support into employment and other opportunities in the public sector
-
the Great Place to Work Scheme, where more than 840 Civil Service jobs have been offered to veterans since the start of 2020.
The full report can be read here.
If you are an employer, remember to check for eligible employees as you could making saving through NI relief. You can find out more on the scheme by visiting the GOV.UK site.
Information provided in this news article may be subject to change. Please make note of the date of publication to ensure that you are viewing up to date information.