Congratulations to C S Hodges, East of England Ambulance Service, MBDA Missile Systems, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Raytheon UK.
They are the 5 East Anglia based organisations of the 51 recipients of the Ministry of Defence Gold Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Award this year. HRH The Earl of Wessex and the Defence Secretary both presented the awards at a special Lancaster House event. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “The breadth and diversity of this year’s Gold Award winners shows how business support for the armed forces continues to flourish.”
The Gold Award is the Ministry of Defence’s highest badge of honour for employers who have taken meaningful steps to ensure veterans, reservists and military spouses are treated fairly in their workplace, and also encourage others to follow their lead.
The award scheme, which attracts entries from companies in every part of the country and in the private and public sectors, has seen a rapid increase in participation since it launched in 2014. This year, a quarter of winners are SMEs, showing companies of any size are able to achieve this level of recognition.
Minister for Defence People and Veterans Tobias Ellwood said: “When people leave the Armed Forces, they do so with unique skills and experiences that can benefit businesses and organisations across the country. These awards show just how valued and in demand these skills are. I encourage more businesses to sign up to the Armed Forces Covenant and show their support for our brave service leavers.”
Kristina Carrington, our Regional Employer Engagement Director added: “The Gold Award is an opportunity for the Ministry of Defence to thank employers for the outstanding support they’ve shown the men and women of our Armed Forces, past and present.”
Kristina and her Employer Engagement team nurtures relationships with employers on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and supports the employers with their applications for the Silver Award and the Gold Award.
The team, which covers all of East Anglia from RFCA Headquarters in Chelmsford, raises awareness the benefits of employing Reservists and veterans, who’ve acquired a portfolio of skills and behaviours that are beneficial in the workplace.
The skills and training military personnel bring to civilian employers include nationally recognised business and technical qualifications, as well as other transferable skills such as leadership, team working, strategy and problem-solving.
By building a relationship together, Defence and employers are able to attract and retain more Reservists in particular; when Reservist are confident that their qualities are valued by employers, they feel less pressure to leave.
To date, nearly 3,000 organisations have publicly pledged their support for the Armed Forces community by signing the Armed Forces Covenant.
To find out more about the ERS Gold Award and how to ensure your organisation treats Defence people fairly, search ‘Defence Employer Recognition Scheme’ online or on our website.