We are delighted to announce that Churchill has received the Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award from the Armed Forces Covenant. Churchill signed the Covenant in August 2019 and was awarded Bronze status last year.
The Covenant is a pledge that those who serve and have served in the armed forces and their families will be treated fairly in society. The award recognises organisations that “promote being armed forces-friendly and are open to employing reservists, armed forces veterans (including the wounded, injured and sick), cadet instructors and military spouses/partners.”
Churchill has demonstrated its commitment to ex-armed forces personnel in a number of ways, including:
- Engaging with the defence business networking group
- Supporting veterans in the recruitment process, and working with hiring teams by training them to effectively engage with applicants who may not be familiar with a job recruitment process
- Implementing HR policies that support employees with a reserve or voluntary commitment
- Working with the Career Transition Partnership, a program that offers resettlement support, career transition advice and training opportunities
- Joining the Forces Families Jobs platform, which allows Churchill to advertise jobs directly to the armed forces community. The platform is particularly beneficial for families that have moved to a new area and don’t have access to local networks or job boards
- Volunteering with the Coming Home Centre veteran charity in Glasgow, where Churchill employees spend their time with the veterans, clean up garden allotments and provide hot meals and drinks
- Being a key supporter of the War Memorial Museum and Veterans Hub in the north east
Louisa Clarke, operations director at Churchill, said: “It’s a huge testament to the commitment and support of everyone at Churchill that we have been awarded Silver status just one year after signing the Covenant. As a veteran myself, I feel passionate about supporting veterans and their families in re-joining the workplace. This award will spur us all on as we aim for Gold status next year.”
Churchill was one of 22 organisations to be awarded Silver status this year.
Johnny Mercer, minister for defence people and veterans, said: “The breadth and diversity of the winners this year shows how business support for the Armed Forces continues to grow no matter the sector, company size or location. I am grateful for the positive attitude and flexible policies these organisations have adopted towards the defence community, which is testament to the fantastic contribution our serving personnel, veterans and their families can make to any organisation.”