Portland Training has always been proud to support the armed forces community. That’s why we’ve signed the Armed Forces Covenant. The Armed Forces Covenant is a pledge by businesses and organisations to do what they can to support our servicemen and women, both past and present. It’s a way of saying thank you for the sacrifices they’ve made, and a commitment to help them in their transition to civilian life. There are many ways businesses can support the armed forces community, and we’re committed to doing our part.
What is the Armed Forces Covenant?
The Armed Forces Covenant is a pledge by businesses and organizations to support the armed forces community. This includes current and former members of the military, their families, and reservists.
The covenant has two key principles:
1) Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services.
2) Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.
Those who sign the covenant pledge to uphold these principles. What that looks like in practice depends on the nature of the business or organisation in question. As a training company, we will be acting on the pledge not only in our hiring practices but with regard to our learners.
What does signing the Armed Forces Covenant mean for our employees?
We recognise that the skills and experience of service leavers and reservists are a valuable asset to our business, and we are proud to offer employment opportunities to those who have served.
We are proud to already offer a range of employee support which will integrate nicely into the pledge. As an Investors in People Gold company, we support our employees to pursue training and education opportunities while working with us. This might mean allowing them to pursue these opportunities during work hours, or covering the cost of training outright. This helps them to progress their careers with us and beyond!
We are also a Mindful Employer. We have pledged not to discriminate on the basis of mental health towards hiring candidates, and to foster an understanding environment in the workplace towards mental health issues. This is especially important for ex-servicemen and women who might struggle with depression, anxiety, or PTSD as a result of their experiences serving.
What does signing the Armed Forces Covenant mean for our learners?
As a training company, our learners are the lifeblood of our business. Portland Training is committed to addressing the unique needs that each of our learners brings to the table. This includes members of the armed forces community, who often face unique barriers in transitioning back into civilian life. Signing the pledge is our way of signaling our intention to learn more about these barriers so that we can assist our learners to overcome them.
Why is supporting the Armed Forces important to us?
In short, the Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation to those who serve and have served in the Armed Forces and their families. It is a way of saying thank you for your service.
Portland Training has signed the Armed Forces Covenant because we believe it is important to support those who have served our country. We are committed to ensuring that members of the Armed Forces community have equal access to our products, services, and employment opportunities.
Many members of the armed forces community face unique challenges. Sometimes these challenges are dramatic. They might leave the services with mental health issues or disabilities. Sometimes they are more mundane but nonetheless important. Perhaps they struggle to adjust back into civilian life.
We also believe that supporting the Armed Forces is good for business. Members of the Armed Forces bring valuable skills and experience to our workforce. In signing the Covenant, we are sending a message that we value these skills and experience and are committed to supporting those who have served our country.
Our Head of Marketing, Craig Shaw served in the Royal Navy as an “Operator Mechanic (first class) Warfare”. He said of the scheme ‘It really is an excellent idea. I’m thrilled to see Portland Training offering its support for members of the armed forces community’.
You can learn more about the Armed Forces Covenant and the great work they do supporting our servicemen and women, both past and present, by clicking here.
