Social Mobility: Supporting veterans with employment opportunities

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Veterans bring huge value and transferable skills to industry. We are committed to supporting Armed Forces veterans and the wider Armed Forces community with employment opportunities.


With our experience and understanding of the Armed Forces, we provide a great transition from military to civilian employment with a wide range of opportunities existing across Sodexo.


We currently employ more than 500 veterans as well as thousands of people from serving military families in a diverse range of roles, grades and locations 

“Sodexo’s commitment to diversity and inclusion ensures that veterans like myself feel a sense of belonging. We are encouraged to act, innovate, and thrive, knowing that our unique perspectives and skills are appreciated and utilised to their fullest potential. This environment of support and respect has been crucial in my professional growth and success.”

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Jamie ThomasContract Director, Ministry of Justice

Our commitment to veterans

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    Positive recruitment of ex-military personnel

    We understand that finding a job after leaving the Armed Forces can be challenging and we want to make that transition easier. That’s why we are committed to helping veterans find employment opportunities and build a rewarding career with us.
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    Employment opportunities for military families

    Regular postings associated with military careers can cause big disruptions to family life. We aim to minimise these kinds of interruptions by providing employment opportunities for partners and families of service personnel posted into areas where we have contracts.
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    Guaranteed interviews for veterans

    To support veterans with their transition to civilian careers, we offer guaranteed interviews for roles where veterans have the required skills and knowledge gained through their military experience to meet the role criteria.
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    Support for Reservists

    We are proud to support those who serve in the Reserves. As part of our Reservist policy, we offer additional paid leave each year, on a flexible schedule to balance military and work commitments.
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    Military Connections employee network 

    Military Connections is our dedicated network for veterans, Reservists and military families, providing opportunities for employees from the Armed Forces community to support and engage with each other, share their experiences and help other military colleagues with their transition from military to civilian careers.

"Military veterans have all the natural skills and abilities to be successful and particular to the FM industry. Every day is different and the ability to find solutions and deliver results in complex, challenging and sometimes remote environments is in our DNA. Transitioning to civilian careers can be difficult but if you're looking for a varied day that presents challenges in many different scenarios then a career in FM at Sodexo is definitely worth pursuing."

Richard JonesOps Director, Government and Co-Chair of Military Connections

Our support in action

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    Armed Forces Covenant

    Our support for the Armed Forces goes back a long way. As an early signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, we recognise the value that the military can bring to businesses and have always offered opportunities, support and career paths to enable veterans to build a successful career with us. 
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    Gold member of the Employer Recognition Scheme

    We have been recognised for our commitment and support to the UK Armed Forces Community with the Defence Relationship Management’s Gold Employer Recognition Award, the highest badge of honour from the Ministry of Defence.
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    A GREAT British Employer of Veterans

    We are ranked number 17 in the GREAT British Employers of Veterans Top 50 list for 2024, recognising our leadership in supporting service-leavers to have rewarding career when they leave the military.  
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    SSAFA Friendly to Forces

    We offer an inclusive and supportive working environment and have been accredited as one of SSAFA’s Friendly to Forces places to work, launched to help military veterans struggling to find work as a result of mental health issues. 

“I’ve found that Sodexo really understands the difficulties military veterans can face moving into civilian roles. Coming here has given me the opportunity to start a new career out of uniform and the transition was seamless”

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Sam PrimeLogistics Services Manager, Colchester

Latest news and insights

  • Sodexo_defence

    Sodexo in Top 50 Employer of Veterans list

    Sodexo, ranked 17 in the list, employs over 500 veterans across its organisation in all its business segments, roles and grades. 
  • newsroom-2023-defence_village

    The Armed Forces lived experience challenges

    Three themes were identified and discussed at a roundtable hosted by Sodexo earlier this year, find out what they were.