The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) has launched a new industry guide in collaboration with Mission Community, designed for ex-Armed Forces personnel and the wider Service community.
The new industry guide, Mission Manufacturing, aims to support trained individuals from the Armed Forces Community in transitioning into fulfilling second careers in the manufacturing and advanced engineering sectors, where employers can benefit from their talent amid a widely acknowledged skills shortage.
Mission Manufacturing builds on the nationwide success of the Mission Automotive and Mission Renewable engagement programmes, which have seen hundreds of veterans, Service leavers and their family members embark on careers in these sectors. The new guide will shine a spotlight on the manufacturing industry, providing advice on everything from the different technologies and sectors the industry serves to how veterans’ diverse skill sets align with roles in the sector.
The guidance will be further showcased to the UK manufacturing industry on the opening day of MACH 2026 at the NEC Birmingham on 20 April.
“We are proud of our ongoing work with Mission Community, which has enabled our organisation to advocate for the wider Armed Forces Community more responsibly and effectively, and has given us the tools to support other members of the manufacturing industry on the same path,” said James Selka, CEO of MTA. “Our industry continues to face a skills shortage, and Mission Manufacturing is an excellent win-win initiative to help address this.”
The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, published by the Department for Business and Trade in 2025, highlighted the ambition to create “world-leading UK capability (through) forging a new partnership with industry, workers, and our Armed Forces”. MTA said Mission Manufacturing is a result of such collaboration and aims to transform how British industry and the Armed Forces communicate, promoting positive growth and enabling both to succeed together.
“The release of the Mission Manufacturing industry guide is another key milestone in the Veterans’ Industry Engagement Programme, which Mission Community delivers on behalf of the Office of Veterans’ Affairs,” said James Cameron, Founder and CEO of Mission Community. “By creating these pathways, we are helping employers adopt veteran-friendly practices which, in turn, enable organisations to benefit from the talent and expertise of individuals they might otherwise struggle to connect with.”
