People Management reported, on 6th October, that veterans who have served in the armed forces for a least one year will now automatically get an interview when applying for jobs in the civil service – as part of a Government scheme to improve the employment prospects of service leavers.
Initially it applies to all recruitment campaigns run by four ‘early adopter’ departments: the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Defence, the Cabinet Office and the Home Office, including the UK Border Force.
There are around 2.2 million veterans in the UK, and 15,000 people leave the armed forces each year, according to the government. Around 60 per cent of those leaving each year are under 35 – and most are looking to start a new career.
However, people who have served in the armed forces often have less experience of applying for jobs, and can find it difficult to translate their military experience to meet civilian job descriptions. This means many veterans struggle to be shortlisted for roles.
Under the scheme, veterans who apply for civil service jobs listed on the ‘Great Place to Work for Veterans’ scheme, and who meet the minimum criteria, will be guaranteed to move to the next stage of selection, such as an interview or online test. There will not be a time limit on when those leaving the armed forces can apply for jobs under the scheme. These new measures are focused on roles at all grades, functions and professions across the Civil Service.