In Defence Oral Parliamentary Questions, local MP, Dame Caroline Dinenage, highlighted the importance of further promoting a positive image of the UK’s veterans as excellent people to employ in the Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan.
The Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan sets out the steps the UK Government will take in the next two years towards its ambition to make the United Kingdom the best place in the world to be a veteran by 2028. Our veterans have the skills, experience and expertise to contribute to our country long after their military service ends.
As such a high proportion of Gosport’s population are veterans, Caroline is calling for further emphasis on employment opportunities in the action plan.
Caroline asked:
“Just under 10% of the working age population of the Gosport constituency are veterans, so we take a keen interest in the Veteran Strategy Action Plan – which is excellent. However, 96% make a successful transition to a civilian career within six months of leaving, and it isn’t until page 32 that that the plan talks about promoting a positive image of our veterans. Can we change the headline here - that service veterans are excellent people to employ?”
Lee Docherty MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (jointly with the Ministry of Defence), responded with:
“She affords me a useful opportunity to make that exact point and I would firstly like to thank her for the work she does in support of her armed forces community of veterans in Gosport. The reason Mr Speaker is there is such a high demand for veterans and also that they make brilliant employees and if you are in the armed forces then military service gives you skills for life.”
ENDS
For more information contact caroline.dinenage.mp@parliament.uk
