How military partners fit within the workforce of the future

Extensive consultation and research, within government and among policy makers, the wider employment market, and higher education, has shown that the workforce of the future needs individuals who can work independently, use their initiative, are effective project-managers, can be creative, resilient and articulate – and above all can manage change.

Kingston University responded to this with an innovative programme developing just these capabilities within their students, thereby preparing them for employment. Their Future Skills programme was launched in 2022 to significant acclaim.

"The University has attracted political support from across all parties for its approach to preparing students for career success. During a Westminster Hall debate, Sir Ed Davey pressed for government backing in terms of additional funding, research support and potential for scalability across the UK in other universities and secondary schools.”

Meanwhile, it’s been noted that the very same skillset and competencies are developed through a life in the military, whether serving or living within this environment. Military partners, a group of which wider society knows very little, are however variously disadvantaged within in seeking employment.

Many accumulate CVs that are rich and diverse in experience, but tend to be weeded out by the sifting of applications by AI programmed to look for 'unreliable patterns' within a career. This is ironic given that it is the broad life experience of military partners that enables them to work in a wide variety of situations and cope with immediacy.

“We have found the rich life experience, and coping strategies developed by military partners, not to mention their ‘can do, hands-on’ attitudes, to be immense assets. They are never phased by the unexpected and are ongoingly rigorous and effective in their project-management.” Jo Luhman, Headteacher, King’s International College, Camberley

A new opportunity – and an associated conference

Now, however, a new opportunity arises. With new working practices developed during the pandemic, and more stability within the postings, here is the time for this rich source of workplace-talent to be recognised and developed.

This important conference, organised in collaboration with the university's Armed Forces Staff Support Group and the charity www.readingforce.org.uk (which began life at Kingston University), will offer the opportunity to hear about the skillset and competencies of military partners, research that highlights the value of these skills within the workplace – and the practical steps needed to ensure progress.

The wider aims of the day are to publicly affirm the value that both the military and employers place on partners’ competencies and skills, and to share this more widely within the community as a whole. In the process, to consider:

• The optimum nature of ‘the workforce of the future’
• How to promote diversity of opportunity within the employment market
• How to get more economically inactive people into employment and contributing to national goals
• The relationship between insufficient opportunities for partner employment and retention within the Armed Forces
• The issues and support needed to change opportunities for military partners
• Research needed to explore the specific workplace experience of military partners

The event will seek to look forward, and offer all involved the opportunity to consider how best the military partner can be incorporated – and valued – within the workplace.

Host or Publisher Alison Baverstock