Business bosses in Croatia with 7 Scots Army Reserve witness the soldiers’ skills first-hand.

The second part of our series of reports with 7 Scots Army Reserve on operation in Croatia

Army chiefs are using Exercise Sava Star as part of a charm offensive to show employers how skilful reservists can be – even out of uniform.

They are expected to commit to a minimum of 27 days of training per year, go on annual camp for a fortnight and face the possibility of being mobilised for up to a year.

And convincing employers of the benefits is where former Royal Engineers reservist Major Ron Macgregor, 70, of the Highland Reserve Forces and Cadet Association (HRFCA) comes in.

With 16 years’ experience working in HR for British Telecom and 14 years as a senior lecturer at Dundee’s College and University, Ron has been regional employment director for HRFCA for 16 years.

Covering a patch from Dundee to Inverkeithing and Dumbarton to Shetland, his task is to enlighten employers about the skills reservists bring to the civilian workplace.

“The Chartered Management Institute did a survey some years ago and came up with a figure that on average, every reservist is exposed to £8,500 of transferable skills training every year,” explains Ron.

“I taught management and there are very few companies in the world that make that kind of investment in development.

“These skills are there for the employer to use when the uniform comes off but a lot of employers don’t even know what reservists are doing.”

Commanding Officer of 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, Lieutenant Colonel Piers Strudwick agrees, there are many rewards for reservists, including employability, friendship, teamwork and leadership skills.

To help show the benefits for their employers, commanding officers have now been instructed to write to companies once a year explaining the skills their staff have gained during reservist duties.

“Now, because of the situation with fewer regulars, there’s a requirement for more well trained reservists,” he says.

“But make no mistake – without the support of employers, the reserves of all three services would wither on the vine.”

He acknowledges that for big employers time out is less of a problem because there are more staff to plug gaps but for smaller firms, there can be real issues.

However, he also points out there is the possibility of compensation for any company that lets its workers out for exercises.

Legislation also prevents employers from discriminating against someone because they are in the reserve forces.

To help make his point, Ron has taken a selection of employers on overseas trips, including this one to Croatia and says the feedback had been very positive with “amazement” at what reservists actually do.”

One of the bosses visiting Exercise Sava Star was John McHugh, 42, a partner in the Edinburgh-based Harper McLeod law firm.

He got involved after one of his clients had a reservist who was called up.

John says: “Being here has made me feel encouraged and quite impressed about what reservists do.

“I can see the benefits for employers thinking about taking on reservists in terms of the skills and quality of the people.”

These skills are there for the employer to use when the uniform comes off. RON MACGREGOR