33 employers awarded gold for supporting the Armed Forces
The Ministry of Defence today announced the new winners of the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Awards, its highest badge of honour for organisations which have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and demonstrated outstanding support for those who serve and have served.
The ERS Gold Awards recognise employers who actively support the Armed Forces community 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.
The 2017 Employer Recognition Scheme Gold award winners are: Airbus, Balfour Beatty, City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, Combat Pest Control, DHL, DXC Technology, ER Systems Global, FDM, Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce, General Dynamics UK, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hull City Council, Inverclyde Council, Kuehne + Nagel, Laing O'Rourke, Liverpool City Council, Mabway Ltd, ManpowerGroup UK, Metropolitan Police Service, Morson Group, Network Rail, NHS Golden Jubilee Foundation, North West Ambulance Service, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, Shropshire Council, Skanska UK Plc, Sodexo UK & Ireland, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Transport for London, West Midlands Fire Service, Wiltshire Council, Wolferstans Solicitors, X-Forces.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said: “These companies have shown the gold standard of commitment to supporting members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families. They have taken meaningful steps to ensure the Defence community are not disadvantaged by the sacrifice they make in helping keep this country safe. The actions of these employers make it crystal clear that regardless of size, location, or sector, employing people with military skills is good for business.”
Commenting on their Gold status, Mark Carne, Chief Executive of Network Rail said: “Network Rail has a long tradition of supporting our armed forces and in employing ex-service personnel and Reserve staff. There are plenty of similarities between Network Rail and the Armed forces - the challenges and pressures, where every day is different, requiring a professional can-do attitude and strong teamwork ethos.
“A large number of our workforce come from an Armed Forces background and have thrived in our organisation providing the skills that are critical to our Railway Upgrade Plan and helping us to build a bigger, better railway for Britain.
“We are extremely proud to have received this recognition of our work and continued commitment to support the Armed Forces community.”
Royal Marines veteran Chris Girdwood, Technician at Gold Award winner Combat Pest Control, added: "It has been great working with Combat Pest Control, not only because they have trained and supported me in my career but also because they do so much supporting the wider military community"
The Ministry of Defence also announced today that following a stringent assessment, seven recipients of the 2014 Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Awards have retained their Gold status: BAE Systems, Barclays, BT, Carillion, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE), NHS Nottingham University Hospitals Trust and NHS Scotland.