A looming Millennials leadership crisis

• nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of millennials say they lack leadership skills
• one in ten admit they have never exercised leadership in their whole life
• 55 per cent have never exercised leadership in a working environment or even with their own friends and family (53 per cent)
• half of millennials define themselves as followers not leaders

On top of that over half of millennials feel stuck in a rut in their current job, half feel held back and almost half (47%) don’t think that their skills and talents are being used to their full potential at work. At the same time millennials report that they lack the skills to get ahead with 46% agreeing that their job doesn’t give them the opportunity to develop their skills.

Set against the background of an increasingly competitive job market these statistics show it’s vital that millennials gain the right skills and experience to stand out. So the British Army is joining forces with leading employers to challenge young professionals to seize the opportunity to make a difference and gain world class leadership skills by becoming an Army Reserve Officer this Reserve Officer Campaign (ROC) week.

Major General Paul Nanson, Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, said:

“We are aiming to make Millennials think again about being an Officer in the Army Reserve and realise that, with a time commitment from just 27 days a year, it’s not a huge investment but the rewards, both professional and personal are huge.

“Joining the Army Reserve as an Officer gives you access to Sandhurst’s world class leadership training and the opportunity to develop key skills that will make you stand out from the crowd in the workplace. Being an Army Reserve Officer is an ideal opportunity to develop the skills and confidence that employers really value and should be a top choice for all those wanting to challenge themselves and do something that makes a difference at the same time.”

With over 1,000 leading employers now signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant and employer support for the Army Reserve the strongest it has ever been there has never been a better time to join:

• The proportion of employers agreeing Reserves are an asset to the UK’s workforce and should be supported has increased to around 90 per cent in the last 12 months.
• Over 90 per cent of employers also feel they can benefit from the skills and experience that Reservists bring back to their organisations^1.
• Employers are more likely to actively encourage staff to join the Reserves than in 2015, and supportiveness of active duty has increased^1.
• The likelihood of employers to grant Reserve training requests has increased in the last twelve months^1.
• Over 50 per cent of employers say Reservists bring unique experience and insight that benefit business^2.

Did you know, as an Army Reserve Officer:

• You receive the best leadership and management training in the world.
• You have opportunities to travel overseas on exercises, sport and peacekeeping, from training in Kenya to supporting the UN in Cyprus.
• You can take up adventurous training from mountaineering in the Himalayas, to sky-diving in Florida.
• You only need to commit to 19 days per year for national units and 27 days for regional units.
• You can earn an annual tax free bonus of up to £1,725 and could be eligible for a joining bonus of up to £2,300.
• You will get paid for all the time that you spend training. You receive a daily rate of £77.64 after training plus pension rising to £125.33 per day for a Major.
• You will be entitled to a non-contributory pension.
• You will get one day of paid holiday for every 10 days in training.
• You have a clear promotion structure to follow. Each successive rank brings extra responsibilities, duties and respect, and an increase in pay.
• There are over 200 different roles on offer in the Army Reserve such as doctors, helicopter pilots, chaplains, engineers, pharmacists, physiotherapists and legal officers.

There will be events across the country as part of ROC week including employer focused events on Monday, open nights on Tuesday, have a go sessions on Saturday and many digital activities all of which are designed to showcase the role of Army Reserve Officer (see notes to editors for more information). By improving awareness and understanding of what being an Officer in the Army Reserve means, ROC week supports ongoing recruitment for the Army Reserve, which aims to show that there is more to the Army Reserve than just combat.

For more information about the role of an Army Reserve Officer search Army Reserve Jobs, visit www.army.mod.uk/officer or call 0345 700 1700.