New initiative to find motoring jobs for military veterans

A new charitable initiative has been created to help veterans of the British Armed Forces find new careers in the motoring industry.

Mission Automotive is being run by Mission Motorsport, the Forces’ motorsport charity, in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and The Royal Foundation, whose patrons are the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The initiative hopes to help veterans find work, and give the industry a new pool of talent to hire from, by matching skills gained from military service with relevant automotive industry sectors. Mission Automotive says this will be increasingly relevant as the industry moves to electrification, because many ex-forces personnel have experience in high-voltage systems and technology.

“It can be difficult for service leavers to translate how their military experience allows them to fit into civilian careers,” said Mission Motorsport CEO James Cameron. “Mission Automotive helps organisations to recognise, foster and retain that talent through developing their own Armed Forces engagement strategies.

“Our servicemen and women are a national resource and have much to offer to society beyond their military service.”

The initiative is being supported by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which has been aligned with Mission Motorsport since the charity's inception in 2014.

“The automotive industry is changing rapidly and we need talent to address some critical skills gaps," said SMMT CEO Mike Hawes. "Ex-military personnel can provide some of these in-demand skills and the industry can provide them with a new career path.

"Mission Automotive expands these opportunities and will let us attack the future challenges with highly trained and targeted talent. ”

Current Mission Motorsport partners include Jaguar Land Rover, Bicester Heritage, Westway Nissan and DHL.