Armed Forces Covenant Business Seminar

On behalf of City of York Council and the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association, we invite you to join us at the upcoming Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) Seminar, to be held on Wednesday 22 May 2024 in the Priory Street Centre (Main Hall) from 9.00am to 12.30pm.

The main aim of the seminar is to provide an environment where organisations can learn more about the Armed Forces Covenant and the MoD's Employer Recognition Scheme at Bronze, Silver or Gold level, with a view to encouraging you to sign up, or perhaps take the next step in progressing from Bronze to Silver or Silver to Gold Level standard.

Attendees will get to listen to a number of case studies that focus on lived experiences. This will include hearing from:

• a Reservist about their experience of working for an Armed Forces friendly employer and the mutual benefits that are available.
• a member of the regular Armed Forces that is transitioning to civilian life.
• a local employer that has first hand experience of the benefits linked to recruiting from the Armed Forces Community.

There will also be updates from the Leader of the Council, Claire Douglas and the new Commanding Officer for 2 Signals Regiment from Imphal Barracks, and networking opportunities.

Many members of the Armed Forces find the transition into civilian life challenging. Finding suitable employment after a successful military career is often a big challenge. Working age veterans are almost twice as likely as the general population to be unemployed, according to a Royal British Legion survey. Our veterans face a number of barriers to accessing civilian employment.

Learn how your organisation can be more "forces friendly" and the many benefits of employing Veterans and Reserves. Veterans should be highly regarded by civilian employers as their skill set could make a significant contribution to any organisation.

Businesses, charities and public sector organisations are encouraged by the government to sign the Armed Forces Covenant to demonstrate their support to the veteran community. The Armed Forces Covenant was first introduced in 2011 with a focus on helping the Armed Forces community have the same access to governmental and commercial services as the public. To show our continuous support to veterans, City of York Council signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant in 2011 and resigned this in 2021.

According to the MoD, 10,000 organisations had signed the Covenant by December 2023. The statistics show that there is still more that could be done to ensure that veterans have a successful transition into their civilian employment. Will your organisation make a pledge to sign the Covenant?

We eagerly anticipate your presence.

Further Information

Armed Forces Covenant:

https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/

https://www.york.gov.uk/ArmedForcesCovenant

MoD Employer Recognition Scheme:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-employer-recognition-scheme

https://www.rfca-yorkshire.org.uk/employers/recognition-scheme/