Beyond the uniform: the valuable skills veterans bring to NHS Fife - by Lyndsey Thomson

We recently celebrated Armed Forces Week and, as an army mum, this is close to my heart for several reasons.

I took up the post of employability officer within NHS Fife in April and a big part of my role is to highlight and support sustainable, local employment opportunities. This involves working with a variety of people at different stages in their lives - from young people still at school and thinking about careers, school leavers, and those seeking employment. We do this by promoting NHS Fife as a local employer of choice and providing careers support and guidance around everything from career pathways, the choice of diverse roles available and the application process.

Many will be unaware that we also provide bespoke support to the armed forces community including veterans, reservists, and their families. Armed forces personnel have a wide range of skills, strengths, and experience to offer, and NHS Scotland is committed to supporting them into employment, whether they are thinking about leaving, going through the process, or they’ve already discharged.

Skills developed in the armed forces are highly transferable, valued and sought after by civilian employers, like NHS Fife. These include softer, interpersonal skills, as well as the harder, technical skills which can all greatly enhance an individual’s career prospects, making them extremely appealing candidates. Some of the skills acquired are:

• leadership
• teamwork
• dedication
• communication
• problem solving
• discipline
• organisation (who can forget that basic training!)
• flexibility
• technology skills

Similar to those experiencing barriers to employment, many veterans and armed forces personnel underestimate the skills they have and utilise on a daily basis, and that’s where our Armed Forces Talent Programme and localised employability support can help. With our expertise, guidance and support, we can help veterans and their families realise their potential, identify suitable and appropriate opportunities and help them showcase relevant skills and experience.

Skills developed in the armed forces are highly transferable, valued and sought after by civilian employers, like NHS Fife.

Now, I mentioned that there were two reasons the armed forces were close to my heart. It’s now a big part of my role and with over ten years’ experience in careers support and employability, it’s something I strive to do well. The other reason is a wee bit more personal. On Armed Forces Day 2022, I received that call that every parent dreads. Whilst on exercise in Devon and Cornwall, my son was involved in an accident that left him with spinal and facial fractures, nerve damage and requiring emergency brain surgery at just nineteen years old and two years into his service.

After two weeks of exceptional care at the hands of the NHS and a remarkable initial recovery, he was repatriated home. A week later he was back at base, on sick leave of course, but determined to prove himself, getting back to peak physical and mental fitness and back to operational duties as soon as possible.

I’m proud that I’ll be one of those people providing that support to families like my own.

Sadly, he has sustained permanent injuries which mean he can no longer do the job he signed up for and loves which means he’ll likely be discharged on medical grounds at some point soon and will require to seek new employment. A few roles in the NHS have been discussed due to the training he has received and skills he has developed, and on recently learning of the service offered by the Armed Forces Recruitment Programme and the employability support provided by the NHS, I was comforted by the fact that we are an organisation who value our forces personnel highly, and I’m proud that I’ll be one of those people providing that support to families like my own.

If you’d like to learn more about the services we offer and our vacancies, please get in touch for more information – [email protected]