Veterans Industry Engagement Programme
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-25)

Find out more the Veterans Industry Engagement Programme, including what it does and how you can get involved.

About the Veterans Industry Engagement Programme

The Veterans Industry Programme (VIEP) is a free-to-access, government-backed service designed to help organisations adopt veteran-friendly practices and behaviours. It ensures veterans’ skills are fully recognised and valued by industry and enables organisations to benefit from their talents and expertise.

This programme is delivered by the charity Mission Community, who develop sector-specific initiatives to create sustainable employment opportunities for service leavers, veterans, reservists and military families.

What the VIEP does

Mission Community’s work on sector initiatives began in 2019 and was officially launched as a government-backed programme in 2024. These initiatives act as a bridge between veterans and industry, trade bodies and employers in specific sectors of all sizes, from SMEs to multinationals.

The connections are established through campaigns, guidance and events aimed at UK industry and the armed forces community.

Sector initiatives help industry to:
- share best practice and success stories
- access and retain armed forces talent
- change workplace behaviours
- make the case for armed forces engagement, both socially and commercially
- collaborate with government and third sector support
Together, these efforts create sustainable employment opportunities for service leavers, veterans, reservists and military families. It helps British businesses to thrive, connecting Defence as an engine for growth.

They also help build an enduring ‘community of communities’ across the UK economy.

Key activities

Campaigns: Establishing named initiatives like Mission Automotive (https://www.missionautomotive.org/), Mission Renewable (https://www.missionrenewable.org/) and Mission Manufacturing.

Advocacy: Promoting schemes such as Op ASCEND (https://careersafterservice.campaign.gov.uk/), the Armed Forces Covenant (https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/) and the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-employer-recognition-scheme) and the Defence Industrial Strategy (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-industrial-strategy-2025-making-defence-an-engine-for-growth)

Events: Hosting the National Transition Event (https://www.nationaltransitionevent.com/) at Silverstone, the UK’s largest armed forces community gathering. Facilitating MOD representation at events connecting Defence to industry through industry and trade body exhibition shows and webinars.

Guidance: Producing industry and sector guides tailored for armed forces job seekers.

Toolkits: Sharing practical advice with employers through organisational toolkits, co-created with industry advocates.

Get in touch

The VIEP welcomes contact from industry bodies and organisations who want to champion the armed forces community within their sector:

By email

Email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Online

Website: Mission Community (http://www.missioncommunity.org)

Latest news

19 October 2025

Mission Renewable launch clean energy pilot

Mission Renewable have launched a new pilot in the East of England to match skilled veterans up with careers in solar panel installation, wind turbine factories and nuclear power stations.

New scheme announced to help armed forces community to find clean energy jobs in the east of England. (https://www.missionrenewable.org/mrnews/new-scheme-announced-to-help-armed-forces-community-to-find-clean-energy-jobs-in-the-east-of-england)