Business looking to ex-service personnel as source of skills

BUSINESS leaders are attempting to prevent a “brain drain” of some of Europe’s most highly skilled ex-military personnel after a study revealed the Ministry of Defence’s operations are worth almost 600m a year to North Yorkshire’s economy.

Research commissioned by regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward and published today has revealed the benefits of the military presence spread across 10 locations, including Europe’s largest Army base, at Catterick Garrison.

However, up to 800 personnel stationed in North Yorkshire are leaving the military each year amid concerns that they are seeking employment elsewhere.

A strategy is being drawn up to ensure Yorkshire’s business world is capitalising on the workers’ expertise in fields such as communications and engineering.

It is hoped that ex-military personnel will be encouraged to launch new enterprises in the region to help to kick-start a recovery from the recession.

Yorkshire Forward’s assistant director for York and North Yorkshire, Julie Hutton, said: “We are trying to make sure that the region’s businesses understand the skills which are available from people leaving the military.

“Hopefully we can make sure that this highly-skilled workforce remains in the region, and they could be vital to helping the recovery from the recession.

“The military itself is of huge importance to North Yorkshire’s economy, and we also want to encourage more links with local businesses for purchasing commodities such as food and drink as well as building contractors for developments on the actual bases.”

Yorkshire Forward joined forces with the MoD, North Yorkshire County Council, Richmondshire District Council and Tees Valley Unlimited for the three-month study.

A Leeds-based company, SQW Consulting, was commissioned to conduct the research, which identified the MoD as employing more than 17,000 staff in North Yorkshire. Most of these are based in Richmondshire which is home to Catterick Garrison.

More than 9,300 people in Richmondshire – 44 per cent of the district’s workforce – are employed by the MoD.

Other bases including RAF Fylingdales on the North York Moors, the Army’s barracks at Fulford Road and Strensall in York as well as RAF Linton-on-Ouse and RAF Dishforth are also hugely important to the county’s economy.

The study found that the MOD procured at least 61m of goods and services each year in the Catterick Garrison area; 64 per cent of these contracts were retained by the region’s businesses.

However, the research identified a need for local businesses to take more advantage of the contracts.

Between 2004 and 2008, the MOD invested 308m on capital projects including accommodation and medical facilities which created an estimated 170 temporary construction jobs each year.

Brigadier David Maddan, who is stationed at the Fulford Road barracks and is the chairman of the MOD’s Military Civil Integration Project’s main board, said: “The soldiers and airmen who serve and deploy overseas from here are making a huge contribution to the nation’s defence.

“Now we can see the scale of the economic benefit they bring as well.”