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Gloucestershire Business News

FSB calls on more to be done to harness potential of former military personnel

The talent and entrepreneurial ability of Britain's military veterans isn't being capitalised upon, according to a report from the Federation of Small Businesses.

The FSB has called for a better connection to be made between those leaving the services and the small business community in a report called 'A Force for Business.'

The report is published ahead of Armed Forces Day on Saturday and recommends an enhanced support package for those leaving the armed forces.

That includes a greater focus on the option of becoming self-employed and on the key skills needed to succeed in enterprise.

FSB research has found that 12 per cent of Britain's SMEs have employed former service personnel in the last three years.

The research shows that there are around 340,000 (six per cent) of small business owned by former servicemen or women and that 78 per cent of those have grown to take on employees.

FSB National Chairman, Mike Cherry, said: "Setting up and running your own business requires courage, determination and a strong work ethic.

FSB National Chairman, Mike Cherry

"These are attributes which service leavers have in spades, and why self-employment is a route well worth considering by those coming towards the end of their time in the Armed Forces.

"For those seeking employment, small businesses can often be better than bigger ones at spotting and nurturing talent, rather than discard a service leaver's job application because some of their skills and qualifications aren't necessarily from a traditional academic route.

"But there is room for greater support and advice to service leavers on the options of self-employment or finding work within an existing smaller business, and there should be more of a focus on the key skills needed to succeed in enterprise.


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"At the same time, employers would benefit from a simplified way of understanding and recognising the equivalence between military skills and civilian qualifications."

The report also recommends more financial support for those service leavers in need of further training and qualifications to achieve their post-military ambitions.

And for small businesses which employ service leavers, it calls for a one-year holiday from Employer National Insurance Contributions.

Lt. Col. Ren Kapur, Founder and CEO of X-Forces Enterprise, and FSB's Armed Forces Champion for Small Business, said: "Military service and the experiences it provides individuals, is a wonderful foundation on which they can build their own career in self-employment or business ownership.

"They just don't always know it when they are transitioning from their military institution to the commercial world.

"This is where X-Forces Enterprise (XFE) has been leading the way since our launch in 2013, and the spotlight that the Federation of Small Businesses is placing on this community is really welcomed.

"Many skills developed within the Armed Forces community are in high demand in the commercial world of employed work; cyber security, drone technology, telecommunications, logistics, prosthetics, and artificial intelligence, to name just a few.

"These extremely valuable skills must not be lost to the commercial world, either employed or self-employed - it is likely that these individuals can experience and flourish in both after serving their country so well."

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