In my previous post I talked about an event that as a business, we were sponsoring for TwinFM and JobOppo (Ex-Military – A Journey into FM); and my experience whilst discussing the transition phase into civilian life with a number of colleagues.

The event went ahead at Manchester United’s stadium, Old Trafford and was a significant success! It was great to discuss the FM industry with veterans, and those who are about to leave the armed forces to highlight not just how great the sector is, but how much of a perfect fit it can be.

My overarching piece of advice to all those who attended, was to find the right company, a business whose values and culture align with their own; the rest will take care of itself! Facilities Management covers such a wide range of areas for people to enter into, but what’s the same across the board is that we are a people industry; and the skill sets that veterans bring from serving time in the forces, gives them a running start! The theme of the day was ‘don’t sell yourself short!’

Key Take-Homes from the event

1. Veterans from all areas of the armed forces have significant foundational skills that would benefit the FM industry, and most of them don’t know it
2. Facilities Management isn’t a ‘first-thought’ potential career option for those who are leaving the military – this needs to change as it’s simply the perfect fit!
3. Companies within the sector could do so much more to support those leaving the forces
4. Companies need to focus on what support they can give to their current employees who are veterans
5. Face-face events and networking are the key to getting all of these messages across – the day overall was a resounding success!

What was at first interesting was the demographic of the room in regards to all of those who were attending to listen to the guest speakers and find out information from the different supporting businesses across industry. Out of all veterans who attended, you could count on one hand the number of females and those from differing ethnic backgrounds.

This actually reflects the demographic of the whole armed forces community, with statistics showing that in 2021 out of approximately 149.3 thousand UK personnel, only 16.5 thousand were female (a 12.5/87.5% female/male ratio), and the intake of BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) personnel was sitting at only 8% in April 2021 as show in the graph below:

Aside from the above government statistics highlighting the need for foundational changes within the armed forces D&I strategy, what it made us question on the day, is how do we engage with more female and BAME veterans to provide support and an easy transition into civilian life and FM industry?

The event was organised by TwinFM and JobOppo and we (the Churchill Group) were headline sponsor with Louisa Clarke speaking on behalf of Churchill, and a number of other speakers including Andy Reid MBE (veteran, millie award winner, triple amputee and motivational speaker). His talk was simply inspiring, a tale of true grit, and what a positive mind-set and sequenced goal setting approach can lead you to achieve.

Louisa took the stage and talked about her own journey, and the benefits of FM in regards to development and success. After leaving the RAF as a movements controller Louisa is now Managing Director of operations for the Churchill Group demonstrating a clear succession path. It was fantastic to highlight everything we do to support veterans and the armed forces community; and the feedback from those there on the day was excellent. It is clear that we are leading the way as a forward thinking, innovative business.