Scottish universities Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) and Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) have partnered with Veterans Scotland to help armed forces veterans find careers and transition to civilian life after their service ends.
On Tuesday, Jan. 15, the universities and Veterans Scotland will host an event in Glasgow to show how higher education institutions can support former military service members and their families.
“As a university, we are committed to supporting their transition to civilian life and future career development through mentoring programs for veterans who work with us and flexible entry paths on to degree courses for prospective students,” said principal and vice-chancellor of ENU Professor Andrea Nolan.
Both universities are signed up for the Armed Forces Covenant – a national promise that those who currently serve or have served in the military and their families are treated fairly, according to Daily Gazette & Essex County Standard.
There are approximately 237,000 veterans of different ages, time served and backgrounds.
A lot of the skills that veterans learn while serving active-duty can be used across different industries, according to Jim Castle, GCU’s Veterans and Armed Forces champion.
For instance, they learn how to treat serious injuries and keep the injured individual alive until medics arrive to the scene, also known as ‘the golden hour’.
The theory is that if you can keep someone alive for an hour they will survive, Castle told the Daily Gazette.
“They also have physical fitness, leadership skills, decision making, commitment, respect for others, teamwork, loyalty, integrity, discipline and courage to name just a few,” he said. “In a nutshell, they have a huge range of transferable skills, which combined with education, will maximize their potential and make them highly employable and major assets to society and the economy.”
There will be many speakers at Tuesday’s event, such as GCU principal and vice-chancellor Professor Pamela Gillies, MSPs Annie Wells and Maurice Corry, Scottish veterans commissioner Colonel Charlie Wallace and deputy commander of 51 Infantry Brigade and HQ Scotland Colonel Sandy Fitzpatrick.
