Edinburgh Napier’s Centre for Military Research, Education and Public Engagement is currently the only research, education, public engagement, and practice unit in Scotland dedicated to the armed forces.

At the heart of the Centre, is a multidisciplinary team of academics, practitioners, veterans, and key military personnel from tri services who collaborate and support innovative and flexible approaches in a range of themes - from supporting employability and helping veteran transition to civilian life, to research into mental health and wellbeing and care for armed forces children and families.

Problem:

The veterans’ population in Scotland is estimated to be around 240,000, with an additional 1,800 ex-service personnel and families planning to settle in Scotland every year. For military personnel and their families, the transition from when they leave the armed forces and go back into civilian life can present a number of complex challenges, from accessing housing and employment and healthcare, to ensuring emotional wellbeing and support.

Solution:

Edinburgh Napier’s Centre for Military Research, Education and Public Engagement collaborated with Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT), Edinburgh Futures Institute and Veterans Scotland to conduct a thorough review into the journey from military to civilian life in Scotland. Their concluding report made a series of recommendations across four key areas: policy, practice, education, and research.

Understanding the challenges of the journey from the military to civilian society 

Regardless of position, rank or length of time served, everyone that leaves the armed forces will have to go through the transition to civilian life at some stage. By 2028, it is estimated there will be an excess of 1.2 million veterans in Scotland, of which 50% of them will be of working age and will be redeployed into working environments in civilian society.

To understand more comprehensively the journey from military to civilian life in Scotland and the challenges it presented for serving personnel and their families, Edinburgh Napier’s Centre for Military Research, Education and Public Engagement led research to gather accurate evidence of what was happening on the ground, with a view to influence the implementation of future government policies and services that will help the armed forces community for years to come.

Through a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, the report included input from nearly 100 service personnel, 200 veterans, and more than 60 employers.

Enhancing support for transitioning veteran communities and families 

Key recommendations in the report included the adoption of mentorship and buddy schemes to help veterans ‘speak civilian’; the development of Welfare Centres to become central points for education and entrepreneurial activity for armed forces partners; the further development of an educational transition pathway for those wishing to continue to higher education, as well as recognition of prior learning qualifications for Commonwealth partners. The report also highlights the demand for support services to be expanded to support the wider armed forces community, with particular emphasis on partners and children.

Download report: You’re in Your Own Time Now’: Understanding Current Experiences of Transition to Civilian Life in Scotland >