Training, adaptability and ethics...how firms are tapping into a military mindset
‘IMPORTANT TO CELEBRATE VETERANS ON ARMED FORCES DAY’
AS the country marks Armed Forces Day, one Derbyshire company is celebrating the talent ex-service personnel bring businesses in civvy street, and is urging others to follow suit.
MTMS, which provides depot maintenance services for the rail and transport industry, already has the Silver Defence Employer Recognition Scheme for its ongoing commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.
Lee Hampton, head of marketing and systems, said the company in Marquis House , Swadlincote employs three ex-forces members of staff and said they bring huge benefits to the company.
He is encouraging other employers to take on ex-services personnel.
“While many of us think about our active servicemen and women on Armed Forces Day, it is also a day to celebrate our veterans and former armed forces personnel and appreciate what they contribute to our society, and businesses,” he said.
“We know that our employees who have come from the Army come with excellent training, adaptability and ethics. The Army has people in almost every job, from engineers to doctors, cooks and people in charge of accounts. We would love others to consider ex armed forces employees when they are recruiting.”
Andy Tarrant, 43, who is now a compliance and quality assurance adviser, previously served as a Royal Engineer before leaving the army in 2003. He stayed on as a private contractor in Iraq until 2013 before leaving to move back to the UK to spend time with his wife and newborn child.
During his time with the Army he served in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq. His service in Iraq with the Royal Engineers (26 Armoured Engineer Squadron) saw his squadron attached to an American Marine Unit (15 MEU) which was the spearhead of the conventional ground forces during the invasion. The squadron’s job was to breach the Iraqi border in order to allow ground forces to enter the country. “I had actually made the decision to leave the Army before it became apparent my Squadron was going to be deployed as part of the invasion with 7th Armoured Brigade so I signed back on so I could go,” said Andy, who is also a mentor for Buildforce - an organisation set up to help service leavers make the transition to the civilian world. He is also an armed forces champion at MTMS and provides advice and support to any new ex forces staff we take on to help them transition.
He said: “When I left the Army, I still carried on as a private contractor in Iraq doing military-type work so there was certainly a period of adjustment when I came back to the UK.
“Being in the Army there is quite a lot of language and vocabulary which is specific to the Army and moving into other industries people didn’t understand that so you have to learn to adapt quickly. The cliché of the Army being a big family is true and when you are in normal work you don’t necessarily have that support network there.
“MTMS have been keen to identify ex-service talent, because we have former squaddies with us, we know what they can offer and we can help them with that transition period, which hopefully helps attract others too.”
MTMS has introduced a host of measures to attract and support military staff, including offering an extra five days unpaid leave for any employees who might be called away with the Territorial Army or the UK’s other reserve forces.
It also advertises itself as a promilitary veteran employer, has pledged to give careers advice to young people attending their local army, air force or navy cadet units and also offers a free counselling service to ex-military staff who might be suffering from anxiety or need advice on overcoming other life or career issues.
James Bentley, 25, joined the company in 2020 after serving with the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers (REME) attached to 16 Signal Regiment for five years and spending eight months in Canada. He was responsible for repairing and maintaining vehicles and equipment.
“I was keen to see my family and my wife more and so I made the decision to leave,” he said.
“I used to see my wife every three to four weekends but now I get to go home most nights.
“Flexibility in your work isn’t something you get with the Army so it has been really good working for MTMS. It also helped that I had a friend who I’d been in the same Regiment as me for four years who had come to work for them before me, so that helped me adjust.”
It is also a day to celebrate our veterans and former armed forces personnel and appreciate what they contribute to our society, and businesses. Lee Hampton