Celebrating our veterans

By Hayley Vince – People & Culture Director

Every year around 16,000 people leave the UK’s armed forces, many of whom are then thrust into the commercial world to begin new careers, which may seem daunting, and difficult to break into, after years of military service.

As we mark Armed Forces Week, it is important at Ascent that we celebrate the work carried out by the UK’s armed forces, both past and present – and the skills and experience that veterans bring to the work we carry out at Ascent, in collaboration with our military partners.

Ascent is proud to be one of the 100 Great British Employers of Veterans, as well as a signatory of the Women in Defence Charter and the Armed Forces Covenant and supporter of the Ex-Forces in Business Award, for which this year we have three finalists. We also enable members of the Armed Forces to apply for vacancies at our sites and Training Hub through the Managed Path Scheme.

There are around many veterans (from all three Services) within our 410 staff, carrying out roles ranging from pilots and instructors, to business managers and administrators. In fact, around half of Ascent’s Leadership Team come from a military background, giving us a firm understanding of the issues facing veterans from the top down.

As an experienced and trusted provider of military training, Ascent understands the particular difficulties facing those leaving the services. We were proud to receive the Defence ERS Silver Award in 2022, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to providing meaningful and flexible opportunities in the workplace for those who have served our country. 

We recognise the value and transferable skills that reservists, veterans, cadet force adult volunteers, customers, partners and wider military communities contribute to our business operations.

We want to attract and work with innovative, adaptable and proactive people, and as a team with a mixture of commercial and military backgrounds, we feel we bring together the best of both worlds, to enhance our training solutions.

Our Armed Forces work tirelessly to defend the UK and protect our people all day, every day. Let’s take time to #SaluteOurForces on Armed Forces Day.