Research with a small cohort of ex-Service personnel at Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company (SBMC) – part of Royal British Legion Industries – has trialled and evaluated a progressive employment training scheme. The project embedded a training manager within SBMC and observed the experiences of ten ex-Service personnel trained over an 18-month period. The research was conducted by Glasgow Caledonian University and funded by Forces in Mind Trust.
The training broke down several barriers to work readiness for the ex-Service personnel who took part in the programme. For example, many reported that the military qualifications they had gained during their time in the Armed Forces were not recognised as transferable to civilian employment. However, through embedding a training manager, who implemented a range of accredited qualifications, they felt that their skills were validated and recognised and it prepared them for further employment through learning new skills.
Whilst providing the tangible benefit of attaining civilian qualifications, this also helped the ex-Service personnel gain confidence in the workplace, knowing that they had qualifications that could be used outside the military should they wish to seek other employment.
All of the participants of the study were on fixed-term contracts at the beginning of the project, with 8 of the 10 joining SBMC on a permanent basis by its conclusion. SBMC’s Progressive Employment Training Programme has continued to train veterans to work at their factory in Erskine, Renfrewshire.
The full report can be read on FiMT’s website
