MACH26 collaboration with charity, champions opportunities for the Armed Forces community within UK manufacturing sector

MISSION COMMUNITY, the industry advocacy arm of Service charity Mission Motorsport, has launched Mission Manufacturing at MACH26. The new collaborative campaign will be delivered alongside the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA). 

This is possible thanks to the partnership with the Ministry of Defence’s Office for Veterans Affairs, as part of the wider Veterans Industry Engagement Programme funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. This move is set to equip the Armed Forces community with the most up-to-date information and guidance about the sector, including the publication of the co-authored Manufacturing Industry Guide for the Armed Forces community.

MACH26 provides a platform for the Armed Forces community within the heart of UK manufacturing, advocating for Service Leavers, Reservists, Veterans, Cadets and their families. It is a moment to celebrate them as a national economic asset, brought together via the power of community and the creation of ‘Mission Manufacturing’. 

Its aim is to inspire and advocate those from the Armed Forces to make the move into manufacturing that much easier.  A relationship where everyone wins, as Mission Community’s founder, James Cameron, explained in a seminar at MACH26: "The release of the ‘Mission Manufacturing’ guide is another milestone in the Veteran’s Industry Engagement Programme which Mission Community deliver on behalf of the Office of Veteran’s Affairs.  By creating these pathways we are helping employers to adopt veteran-friendly practices which, in turn, enable organisations to benefit from the talents and expertise of individuals they would otherwise struggle to connect with," he stated.

This moment forms part of Mission Community-led, industry initiatives that has its roots firmly in the show, given MTA’s hosting of the charity for the first time at MACH24.  Since then, Mission Community and the MTA have been building greater alignment between industry and national Defence priorities, culminating in this guide that is presented to exhibit attendees for the first time today. This follows up from the National Transition Event at Silverstone in March, where the MTA presented the guide to its primary audience, the Armed Forces community, at the largest annual gathering of forces job seekers in the UK.

"The MTA is committed to uplifting the Armed Forces Community in our industry and dismantling the roadblocks that can prevent veterans from flourishing in the civilian workplace despite their experience and unmatched transferable skills. We are proud of our ongoing work with Mission Community which has enabled our organisation to advocate for the wider Armed Forces Community responsibly and far more effectively and given us the tools to start other members of the manufacturing industry on the same path," affirmed MTA CEO James Selka. "Our industry continues to endure a shortage of skills and Mission Manufacturing is an excellent win-win way to help address this."

The new campaign highlights how those from an Armed Forces background have perfect alignment with manufacturing - discipline, leadership, adaptability, problem-solving including also many other technical skills learnt in service - matching industry needs. This is a prime example of how both industry and the third sector can combine at such events for the greater good of the economy and those who have served our nation.

The Manufacturing Industry Guide can be downloaded here: www.missioncommunity.org/manufacturingguide

For more information: 

www.missioncommunity.org