In December, the Ministry of Defence, in cooperation with job portals, began training conscripts to help them find work more quickly after completing their service and to use the skills they acquired during their service. The first course was held last week with the navy, and the next one started this week at the Guard Battalion.
“Our aim is to give conscripts an overview of the labour market, as well as the skills they acquired during their service and how to use them in the labour market. If we compare the incomes of reservists and non-reservists in the labour market, a study conducted by the University of Tartu in 2019 shows that 3–4 years after completing military service, the incomes of reservists are 13–19% higher. We can say that thanks to the skills acquired during their compulsory military service reservists earn nearly EUR 1,000 more per year than those who have not completed compulsory military service,” said Martin Reisner, head of the Defence Resolve Development Department at the Ministry of Defence.
During the seminars, conscripts will receive an overview of the current threat situation, the strengths and challenges of national defence, the skills acquired during conscription, and the role and responsibilities of reservists in Estonian national defence.
“We clearly see that it is important for conscripts heading to the reserve to understand their role and responsibility as reservists, that is, the main force of Estonia’s national defence. Next year, we plan to reach all structural units within the Defence Forces with the project, with the aim of increasing the readiness of future reservists to participate in both reservist training exercises and defence activities,” said Markus Rosin, Defence Resolve Adviser at the Ministry of Defence.
The Ministry of Defence is working on a number of initiatives to enhance the role of reservists in society, including the Defenders of the State Supporter Campaign, conducted this spring, which recognised 50 companies and organisations that maintain the pay of reservists during reservist training exercises, and offer various benefits and incentives to the defenders of the state.
“In cooperation with job portals, we also encourage reservist jobseekers to mention their experience gained during military service in their CVs and motivation letters,” Rosin added. Next spring, before a large-scale training exercise, Estonia is planning to organise a reservists’ week, based on the Israeli reservist training experience, with events and campaigns aimed at defenders of the state and their families.
The seminars aimed at conscripts will be attended this year by nearly 220 conscripts who will soon be heading into the reserves, which is about one third of the conscripts who began their compulsory military service in January 2023, and will we heading into the reserves at the end of the year.
The seminar is structured in such a way that it can be carried out independently by sub-units afterwards.
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