KORE aims to make it easier for veterans and reservists to build careers in IoT through its Veterans in IoT programme.

Earlier this month, KORE signed the Armed Forces Covenant, a pledge to help veterans find success after service, a daunting task for many service personnel who struggle to reacclimate to civilian life, or civvy street as it’s often referred.

Over 70 per cent of armed forces veterans struggle to adjust to civilian working life, according to research from Openreach, the UK’s largest private sector armed forces employer. On average, it takes seven months for a veteran to find employment.

The issue also extends across the pond, with over half of US service members unable to find employment after leaving active duty, according to a US Chamber of Commerce Foundation study. Given today’s changing job landscape, many veterans have difficulty finding career paths as civilians; however, KORE is looking to change that.

With help from its personnel programmes in mentoring, career pathing and volunteering, KORE is creating an easier path for veterans to lend their talents to the IoT sphere.

“Veterans bring a wealth of skills and knowledge to the workplace,” said KORE CEO Romil Bahl. “Here at KORE, we have many veterans on our global IoT team. KORE is honoured to give back by creating an opportunity for them to bring their skills to the IoT family.”

More than 15,000 veterans enter civilian life each year, bringing with them a diverse range of backgrounds, training and education, all of which gives them applicable skills to thrive in the tech world and at IoT companies such as KORE.

Part of KORE’s IoT for Good initiative, Veterans in IoT also highlights the experience of veterans currently working for the company.

James Benson, former base civil engineer for the US Air Force, and current member of KORE’s legal department, is excited to be a part of the mentorship programme the company is launching for veterans joining its IoT workforce.

“When I joined the air force, I was assigned a unit sponsor, or a mentor, who helped me acclimate to life on base,” Benson said. “It really made all the difference in the world. At KORE, I’m excited to do the same for veterans joining our IoT family.”

Richard Tuke, former service member and current vice president of sales with KORE, added: “Navigating civilian life after service can be tough, but initiatives like this make it easier for veterans to find career paths in growing fields like IoT and tech.”

KORE’s goal is to increase the number of veterans in its workforce by 50 per cent over the next five years.