AN armed forces veteran has urged construction firms to lean on the natural skillsets of those leaving the military to help mitigate the industry’s skill shortage.
Mark Hollinshead joined construction equipment specialist Finning UK & Ireland – the world’s largest dealer of Cat equipment, parts, and aftermarket services – in 2023 as an engineering manager and customer service controller after returning to civilian life. He joined the army as a vehicle mechanic in 1996 and completed almost 26 years’ service as an artisan mechanic, working his way up to the role of warrant officer class 2 at MOD Lyneham.
His role at Finning has seen Mark manage teams and equipment on some of Britian’s largest projects, including the landmark HS2 scheme. The experience gained in the army of working in fast-paced pressurised environments with tight timelines has helped him handle the demands of his new career.
“Soldiers have a solid skillset that’s transferable to many different industries,” Mark told Project Scotland. “Think timekeeping, discipline, trainability – they spend years being coached. All these soft skills are highly transferable.
“There is the technical area of the sector you go into… but what they don’t know is easier to learn than what they already know. It can be easier to teach (technical skills) than the leadership and soft skills the army gives. I think a lot of soldiers can undervalue it and it’s only (after) they gain employment they realise how it carries with them.”
Admitting that he underestimated what he personally had to offer in the civilian world upon leaving the army, Mark praised Finning for its commitment to creating pathways for veterans.
The firm was recently presented with the Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award from The Armed Forces Covenant, in recognition of its support for veterans and the armed forces community. Finning currently employs 35-40 ex-service personnel across its UK and Ireland operations and is a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, which is a commitment made by companies to provide a fair and equal chance for prospective employees from military backgrounds.
“Finning is big on military recruitment fairs – they’re good at getting themselves known in the military employment world,” Mark added. “Finning prides itself on being a forces-friendly employer and from a military perspective, you do look for companies like that because they’re more likely to understand where you’ve come from.
“And because how understanding Finning was, that made everything so much easier.”
The company’s commitment to veterans gave Mark the confidence to speak openly about his main concern during the interview stage, which was his lack of commercial experience. Explaining that cost wasn’t really considered in the army, he acknowledged his past career didn’t set him up for the commercial world. “Finning took me on knowing that and helped me with it,” he explained.
With the UK construction sector experiencing a well-documented skills shortage, the 13,000-15,000 individuals who leave the British Army each year on average could provide a solid pipeline of skilled professionals. However, a 2024 study by Deloitte found that 51% of male veterans, and 57% of female veterans found it difficult or very difficult to find employment post-army – with 47% of ex-army personnel failing to secure a job within six months of leaving the army.
Forces in Mind Trust, an organisation that helps ex-service personnel and their families transition into civilian life, has also carried out research highlighting that many employers find it difficult to identify and understand transferable skills gained from the military in the CVs of veterans.
“Translation of terminology,” Mark replied, when asked what he believes to be the main sticking point. “A lot of the skills are there, but it’s just getting it across. The civilian world is too big and diverse to ask it to change for the army, but the army has got to understand civilian terminology.”
Praising the volume of work that has gone into driving change, Mark highlighted individuals such as John Stephenson, whose Forces Transition initiative helps veterans with CV writing and translating their skills into terminology more easily digested by the civilian world.
“It is getting better and there is a lot of success coming from that, but without the help, soldiers just speak a different language and they can struggle to convey their skills.”
Mark has urged current army personal considering their future to engage with recruiters and attend career fairs, adding that the not knowing what to do next can be the biggest source of worry. Getting out there can help in the preparation of stepping into civilian life.
“Soldiers are quick learners; they’ve had to be,” Mark concluded when asked of the benefits of employing veterans. “They’ve spent their entire career being trained on different equipment and that’s all transferable skills. There’s also a financial benefit. In the first year, if you employ someone from the army you don’t pay a NI contribution.”
For more information on the Forces Transition Group, visit click here.
