Schneider Electric is doubling the number of former military personnel it recruits to help address the shortage of skilled workers in the transition from fossil fuels to green energy.
The Veteran Talent Program is a 12- to 18-month-long program that offers former military candidates classroom and on-the job training in order to prepare them for operational or management roles.
No prior technical knowledge is required for the programme. Candidates are chosen based more on their motivations and interest than any specific skills.
It said that in the first year, 2024, of the program, all participants had exceeded their performance targets. Schneider Electric is more than doubling its intake this year from six to thirteen recruits.
Veterans receive business and engineering training in the dedicated academy of the company located in Coventry, before moving on to the job training at various sites throughout the country.
Damion Baines, a former British Army tank driver who left in June 2024 after more than 26 years of service, completed the course last year.
He said that “keeping calm under pressure, being able to solve problems, and having empathy for others has all been crucial in my job, where I make sure critical buildings are operational,” “The skills that I use to perform my job at Schneider Electric are ones I developed in my military career.”
Baines appreciated that the energy transition work of the company tapped into the “strong senses of social purpose veterans share”. He now works as a manager of digital power systems.
Military Ambassadors is a company employee resource group that is open to all staff in the UK and Ireland.
Kelly Becker is Schneider Electric’s president for the UK, Ireland and Belgium. She added, “At Schneider Electric we are passionate about building a diverse workforce and veterans are not an exception.”
Our program not only builds talent to support green transition but veterans bring unmatched skills and benefits to our business, fuelling more innovative and diverse thinking.
Redeployable, a platform for career transition powered by AI, is used to match candidates and potential roles. The platform allows veterans to create personalised career plans, while also gaining insights into the company’s goals.
The application period for the program is now open.
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report by global change consultancy Bain & Company found last year that one out of eight UK workers would need reskilling to help the UK transition to a zero-carbon economy.
