ARMED FOR SUCCESS ON CIVVY STREET: AUTO INDUSTRY CALLS ON EX-MILITARY TALENT TO SIGN UP
Mission Automotive launched to power the future of recruitment in the UK automotive industry
- New Armed Forces engagement initiative formed to help ex-service people back into work, and plug vital skills gaps in manufacturing, infrastructure and logistics
- Led by Mission Motorsport, the Forces’ Motorsport Charity, in partnership with The Royal Foundation, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and backed by the Ministry of Defence
- 1700 veterans have already found new careers in the sector since the first Invictus Games in 2014
- Veterans and employers on parade at the Royal Hospital Chelsea with manufacturing, retail, logistics and engineering companies reflecting the diversity of industry roles
- Armed Forces Covenant commitments at the centre of a broad initiative covering new talent, reservists and spouses as well as wider brand and corporate engagement
Major players from across the automotive industry today came together with the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with the Ministry of Defence to launch Mission Automotive, a new charitable partnership that helps service leavers and veterans into jobs in the sector.
Unveiled at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, and delivered by Mission Motorsport, the Forces’ Motorsport Charity, the Mission Automotive initiative helps service leavers and veterans into UK Automotive industry jobs. Covering the entire sector, from components, infrastructure and software through to manufacturing and logistics, the project will supply a broad range of highly-relevant skills to the job market. As the move to electrification and related technology gains pace, the initiative will also provide a welcome boost through the dissemination of high-voltage competencies that are commonplace in all three Services.
Mission Automotive distils the charity’s seven years’ experience in placing veterans into employment across the UK Automotive industry. Since the first Invictus Games in 2014, Mission Motorsport partners have helped 1700 veterans into work of whom over 150 were ex-servicemen and women categorized as wounded, injured or sick. By encouraging companies to develop their own mechanisms to access military talent through promoting positive business behaviours and reinforcing an Armed Forces friendly culture, veterans and spouses are able to thrive, realise their potential and promote positive change in others.
Taking the initiative at today’s launch were founding members of Mission Automotive, Jaguar Land Rover, DHL, Westway Nissan, Alcon and Bicester Motion. Key to the early appeal of the scheme is its ability to deliver the skills required to tackle the challenge of the automotive industry’s electrification. Covering not just vehicle design and manufacture, but also maintenance, repair and disposal as well as the implementation of the UK’s charging infrastructure, ex-forces personnel already possess a treasure trove of highly relevant skills in high-voltage technologies and systems.
By mapping military career groups to the qualifications required by the sector, Mission Automotive lets UK industry tap into a pool of unrealised talent, and deliver sustainable and relevant employment opportunities for service leavers, veterans and their partners. Backed by the MoD, industry groups led by SMMT, and with the full support of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, it links HR best practices with a focus on the wider issue of corporate responsibility.
“It can be difficult for Service Leavers to translate how their military experience allows them to fit into civilian career,”explains James Cameron, Mission Motorsport CEO. “Mission Automotive helps organisations to recognize, foster and retain that talent through developing and implementing their own Armed Forces engagement strategies. By promoting these positive business behaviours, the Mission Automotive initiative gives member companies the tools to unlock not only human potential, but also brand and corporate opportunities through embracing the Armed Forces Covenant.
Working as part of the MoD’s Defence Recovery Capability, our partner companies have helped over 1700 veterans into employment since the first Invictus Games in 2014. Our service men and women are a national resource, and have much to offer to society beyond their military service. By helping them and their families we boost British industry, and by association the communities in which they resettle.”
Heres what veterans had to say:
“My military experience has really helped my transition into the industry roles that I have held up to now, not only from atechnical perspective, but the soft skills the Army taught me have really come in handy too”
Stuart Olden – Williams Advanced Engineering
Ex – Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
“I’ve served in the Reserves throughout my 10 years with Jaguar Land Rover and during that time they have been nothing but positive. I take a lot of my corporate skill set into my Reserve work which sets me apart from my peers and back in the office I’m often asked to lead challenging projects because people trust in my ‘military discipline and organisation’ to get a job done quickly and to quality”
Stewart Bailey – Jaguar Land Rover
Royal Signals
I understand the valuable skills that service personnel possess and have helped Tesla harness this by pushing them towards joining the Armed Forces Covenant, we have already achieved the Silver Award!”
Josh Kemp – Tesla
Ex- Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
“I have been on the most amazing journey with Mission Motorsport and it has culminated in a fantastic new job with an amazing company. I’ve worked really hard to make the most of everything that I have been offered – and it has paid off inthe end”
Colin Murphy – Jaguar Land Rover Special VehicleOperations
Ex Royal Navy
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “From electrification to digitization, autonomous driving to cyber security, the automotive industry is changing rapidly and we need talent to address some critical skills gaps. Ex-military personnel can provide some of these in-demand skills and the industry can provide them with a new career path. SMMT has supported Mission Motorsport for a number of years with ex-service people, including many with disabilities, joining the sector and rapidly becoming an asset to their respective companies. Mission Automotive expands these opportunities and will let us attack the future challenges with highly trained and targeted talent. ”
Lorraine Heggassey, CEO, The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said:
“The skills that are acquired through a career in the Services have great utility in civilian life, and the work of the Royal Foundation has sought to shine a spotlight on those programs that help the transition process for service leavers and their families. Mission Motorsport through sporting engagement, training provision that was established with Endeavour Fund help in 2015 and by developing close ties with industry have generated opportunities that have inspired and engaged the hard-to-reach and helped hundreds into relevant, sustainable new careers.
“Supporting veterans and their partners with the next stage of their lives not only helps the individual become a valued member of a team again; it also allows organisations to build a dynamic workforce by harnessing a broad range of transferable skills that veterans have acquired during their military service. It is particularly exciting to note the particular suitability of veterans and service leavers for emerging electrical roles in UK Automotive, and by building on the tremendous work in the sector, Mission Automotive is an exciting initiative that brings together industry, charity and government in order to benefit wider society.”
Lieutenant General Richard Nugee, Chief of Defence People, said:
“Our people are at the heart of defence, and we are proud of the very positive contribution they make to society once they leave the military, thanks to the knowledge and skills developed in service.
“84% of our service leavers are back in full time employment within six months, which is a testament to their unparalleled aptitude and value. The ground-breaking Mission Automotive initiative will build on this success and improve the opportunities for employers to access the vast potential of the ex-forces community.”
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:
“Engineering is one of the range of skills which personnel hone in our armed forces and can be transferred to civilian life. Mission Automotive will be instrumental in ensuring that these exceptional skills are harnessed, bolstering this vital sector of our economy and providing high skilled jobs for the ex-forces community.”
Minister for Defence People and Veterans Tobias Ellwood said:
“A career in the armed forces sets our people up with skills that last a lifetime, with their team work, courage and self-discipline making them an asset to any employer.
“Under the Armed Forces Covenant, we all have a duty to support military personnel, both while they are serving and beyond, and I applaud Mission Automotive for their commitment to championing our people as they take the next step in their professional lives.”
About Mission Automotive
Mission Automotive is already working to place personnel with highly relevant skills in the UK automotive industry. Companies want to find out more can visit the website www.missionautomotive.org or contact info@missionautomotive.orgfor more information, and an induction pack.
Built on years of experience in providing transitional support for service leavers, Mission Automotive links the changing needs of the automotive sector with the knowledge, behaviors and qualifications that service leavers, spouses and veterans possess. Investing in the future of people and well as business, this brand-new initiative promotes and encourages best practice amongst companies, to foster a culture of development to support those who have served.
As the car industry races to meet the challenges of electrification, the Armed Services are an ideal training ground for talent that the automotive sector will depend upon in the future. High voltage systems and technology experience is commonplace in the Armed Forces, where it is routinely used to enable expeditionary capability. With all three services routinely dealing with 1000V+ systems, the benefits of migrating these behaviors, skill sets, and qualifications needed are obvious.
However, Mission Automotive will benefit the industry as a whole, in the same way that Mission Motorsport has been a force for positive change since its launch in 2012. With mechanisms centred on education, translation and honesty, it has the support in place to help ensure the best possible fit for both the employee and the employer in the long term. With the broad range of skills and experience that military training delivers, ex-service personnel can make a positive different in all aspects of the industry.
In the last seven years, Mission Motorsport has placed over 150 wounded, injured or sick ex-servicemen and women into employment and supported to ensure that all parties realise the long-term benefits. With a two-year point measure of effectiveness (still in employment) of 84%, the charity’s work in helping industry innovate and tap into military talent the charity has helped over 1700 veterans into employment since 2015.
Having already worked with many companies in the UK automotive sector, Mission Motorsport has provided inviable assistance to its partners. This includes Jaguar Land Rover, as it helped its strategic partner, DHL Supply Chain to implement their own Armed Forces Engagement program, awhile other suppliers have likewise been encouraged and helped to promote innovative business behaviours and make the most of a pool of talent that’s previously been difficult to reach.
Category: Motoring, Motoring News
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