Whose Watching Our Backs?

Shot but not Shaken! Lessons in Leadership from the front line!

Ash Alexander-Cooper OBE is a former specialist military unit commander in the British Armed Forces, who has been shot and wounded multiple times during combat missions. During a two-decade career, Ash became one of the most operationally experienced officers of his generation, spending nearly 7 years deployed, and leading elite forces in some of the world’s most complex and hostile environments. In addition to being a world-championship athlete, artist and musician, he’s an acclaimed author and global expert on high performing leadership.  He’s a passionate advocate of supporting charities and gives a great deal of his time to helping others.  Thank you for listening to Mission Employable UK, a podcast dedicated to ensuring your journey from serving to civvy street is smooth. Follow us, as we chat to service leavers, employers and everyone in-between to gain real insight into life outside the barracks.

Whose Watching Our Backs?

This episode focuses on three powerful and insightful conversations with service leavers, who all give moving accounts of the barriers they have overcome, including the loss of limbs and time spent in prison, to achieving success beyond service life. Their deep commitment to improving the outcomes for service leavers is evident and powerful. Understanding that support is available is critical. From employment pathways and skills translation to emotional wellbeing and community integration, Paul, Darren and Cassidy share a snapshot of their own journeys to success.  Thank you for listening to Mission Employable UK, a podcast dedicated to ensuring your journey from serving to civvy street is smooth. Follow us, as we chat to service leavers, employers and everyone in-between to gain real insight into life outside the barracks.

On the road live with the Forces Transition Group!

In February I was invited to join the Forces Transition Group roadshow in Cheltenham to record the voices of transitioning personnel and employers seeking to hire from our military community. I had the absolute pleasure of connecting with so many inspiring individuals, it was such a pleasure to record so many ‘hunters’ and ‘seekers’ voices for this special live edition of Mission Employable UK. From HR leaders to service leavers, the consensus is clear: the bridge between military life and civilian careers is getting stronger every day thanks to the tireless work of the Forces Transition Group Ltd [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-forces-transition-group/] team. Thank you for listening to Mission Employable UK, a podcast dedicated to ensuring your journey from serving to civvy street is smooth. Follow us, as we chat to service leavers, employers and everyone in-between to gain real insight into life outside the barracks.

The Employer Recognition Scheme

The Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) plays a pivotal role in strengthening the Armed Forces Covenant by acknowledging and rewarding UK employers who demonstrate outstanding support for the armed forces community. By providing a framework for organisations to pledge their commitment, from Bronze to Gold awards, the ERS not only raises awareness of the unique skills and experiences that ex-service personnel, reservists, and their families bring to the civilian workforce but also actively encourages their employment and professional development. This directly underpins the broader Defence Recognition Scheme, which seeks to build a mutually beneficial relationship between the armed forces and society. This ensures that those who serve, or have served, and their families are treated with fairness and respect, and are not disadvantaged. In this episode I chat with Kerryanne Wilde, the ERS Director for the North West of England and her role as my Defence partner supporting my company Careers Ideas Ltd, to move from Bronze to Silver. Thank you for listening to Mission Employable UK, a podcast dedicated to ensuring your journey from serving to civvy street is smooth. Follow us, as we chat to service leavers, employers and everyone in-between to gain real insight into life outside the barracks.

Hidden Ranks: The Spouse Skills Advantage

Miliary spouses bring a powerful, often overlooked skill set shaped by constant change. They are the hidden ranks with a highly desirable skill set most employers are unaware of. They are experts in adapting to new environments, navigating change and operating in complex and unfamiliar environments all whilst maintaining family stability.  This repeated exposure to disruption builds exceptional strength in change management problem solving, resilience and cross function communication, often with limited information.   In this episode we chat with Ella Cartwright and her husband John, a serving soldier recently back from a 6 month deployment alongside Anna Bell, a former RAF combat medic, military spouse and now a Lecturer in Adult Nursing on their experiences of giving up a career to forge a new path and the impact on the wider family of deployments. Thank you for listening to Mission Employable UK, a podcast dedicated to ensuring your journey from serving to civvy street is smooth. Follow us, as we chat to service leavers, employers and everyone in-between to gain real insight into life outside the barracks.