Reflections, Conclusions and Acknowledgements
Reflections
This review indicates that there has been clear and sustained progress in supporting veterans into employment both UK wide and in Scotland. There is now stronger collaboration across government, employers and the third sector, alongside a more confident and mature understanding of veterans as a strategic economic asset.
Initiatives such as the Skills Discovery Tool, NHS Scotland’s Armed Forces Talent Programme, and targeted sector initiatives show that when support is aligned with employer demand, strong and positive outcomes follow. Veterans consistently bring a powerful combination of technical ability, adaptability, leadership and resilience, delivering measurable value across a wide range of sectors.
Encouragingly, employment outcomes for many veterans are strong, with high proportions entering work within relatively short periods following transition. This reflects both the quality of the workforce and the effectiveness of current support structures. However, the next phase of progress lies not only in securing employment, but in ensuring that veterans are able to thrive in roles that fully utilise their skills and experience. Evidence of underemployment suggests that this is an area where further gains can be made, unlocking additional productivity and economic benefit without increasing labour supply.
A key opportunity is to bridge the remaining gap between employer awareness and employer action. Employers increasingly recognise the value of veterans, but there is scope to translate this into more systematic and proactive hiring, development and retention strategies. Embedding veteran recruitment within mainstream workforce planning – particularly in sectors facing skills shortages – would allow businesses to make fuller use of this talent pool. Strengthening engagement through business representative organisations offers a practical route to scaling this approach.
For policymakers, the foundations of a supportive system are already in place, but there is an opportunity to build on this by strengthening coordination, data, and communication. More robust and consistent data collection – including longitudinal tracking – would enable a deeper understanding of outcomes, particularly in relation to career progression, underemployment, and entrepreneurship. At the same time, policy should continue to reflect and reinforce the Armed Forces Covenant principle of ‘no disadvantage’, ensuring that Service leavers, spouses and partners, and bereaved families are supported equitably in the labour market.
There is also a clear opportunity to enhance how strategy and policy engage with employers. Treating employers as key partners – or ‘customers’ – within the system means making it easier to access support, improving awareness of incentives, and clearly articulating the business case for hiring veterans. While valuable schemes are in place, their impact will be maximised through more consistent and targeted communication. There is also the risk of ‘employer fatigue’ because of numerous organisations making approaches to employers to encourage the employment of veterans. Strategic oversight and careful coordination would mitigate this risk.
For veterans themselves, the evidence highlights the importance of early and proactive transition planning. Those who engage fully with available support, begin preparation early, and invest time in understanding how to translate their skills and experience tend to achieve better outcomes. Enhancing Life Skills provision, particularly by reinforcing understanding of skills, and practical application of career management, would further support this process. Importantly, transition is best understood as a journey rather than a single event, and continued engagement over time should be encouraged.
The system rightly recognises that a one-size-fits-all approach is neither appropriate nor effective. Tailored, person-centred support remains essential, particularly for those facing more complex challenges. The work of third sector organisations demonstrates how addressing housing, health, and financial stability can create the conditions for sustainable employment success. This holistic approach is a clear strength of the current system and will become increasingly vital as cost-of-living challenges and housing shortages continue to worsen.
Specific cohorts also present opportunities for further progress. Spouses and partners represent a capable and flexible workforce, and there is scope to better support their access to sustainable careers, including through entrepreneurship and portable employment models. Older veterans seeking work may benefit from more targeted approaches that recognise their experience while addressing potential barriers in the labour market.
There is significant potential to integrate veteran employment more fully into Scotland’s broader economic and workforce strategies. Veterans are already contributing strongly to key sectors such as infrastructure, energy and public services. With a more coordinated and forward-looking approach, their skills can be even more closely aligned with future economic priorities, including the transition to net zero.
Overall, while Scotland has built a strong foundation, significant work remains to ensure that the full value of veteran skills is realised through sustainable, high-quality civilian careers. Maintaining progress will depend on translating positive intent into consistent practice, strengthening system leadership and data, and ensuring that all parts of the veteran community are able to benefit from the opportunities available.
Conclusions
Veterans benefit from early transition planning, supported by strengthened Life Skills provision and clear pathways into employment. While there have been improvements in the support provided during transition to assist with post-Service employment, more needs to be done. Tailored support should continue to prioritise those with additional needs, Early Service Leavers, non UK veterans and older veterans seeking work. Better data gathering and analysis over longer time periods will help to achieve these improvements.
Employment outcomes for veterans in Scotland overall appear to be more positive, with further gains available by addressing underemployment and fully utilising veteran skills. Policymakers should strengthen data collection and long-term tracking to better understand outcomes and drive continuous improvement.
Veteran employment should be embedded within Scotland’s mainstream economic and workforce planning to maximise its long-term impact. Strategic oversight of policy for veterans’ employment, skills and learning should be strengthened and led by the Scottish Government.
The Armed Forces Covenant principle of removing disadvantage should remain central to all employment policy and practice, including for spouses and the bereaved community. Clear guidance must be provided by the MOD when the Covenant due regard duty is extended to employment.
Employers are increasingly aware that veterans form a highly capable and valued workforce, making a strong and growing contribution to Scotland’s economy. They have an opportunity to build on this by proactively recruiting, developing and retaining veteran talent.
Good practice is already in place through efforts to engage and support employers, helping to increase awareness and uptake of existing schemes and incentives. Employers holding the Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award should be more fully utilised as a valuable resource, acting as peer advocates to promote veteran employment across the business community.
Acknowledgements
The Scottish Veterans Commissioner is very grateful to everyone who contributed to this review. Her thanks go to all the organisations and individuals who took the time to meet or to provide input. The information, research, data, insights and stories shared with her were essential in informing this review paper. Particular thanks go to the organisations and individual veterans who provided the case studies that have been included.
